In Your Dreams
by Halbarad
Summary: Golden Week has arrived! While the rest of the SOS Brigade makes plans, Kyon is forced to go to a family reunion far out in the country - so Haruhi gives him an assignment: learning about lucid dreaming. Surely nothing unusual could come of that...
1. Among the Zoogs

In Your Dreams

Chapter One: Among the Zoogs

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

Co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU!

* * *

><p>"...and the sky changed from orange to green." Sakanaka looks over at me and giggles. "Then I climbed on J.J.'s back - he was as big as an elephant! - and started racing the train. That's about the point where I woke up."<p>

It's the end of the lunch break, and today I'm taking some time to catch up with Sakanaka. It's been a while since we took care of J.J.'s moodiness, and while I keep meaning to go over and visit, other stuff just keeps coming up and I forget about it. I try to check in with Sakanaka herself every so often, though, and for today she's talking about a dream she had last night.

"It's kind of cool, though - I've had dreams about riding J.J. before, and they're usually a lot of fun. Do you have any dreams like that?" She gives me a quizzical look.

"Not in the same way," I reply. "Most of the time I don't remember my dreams, but there are a few times I have. The one I remember most is usually something like glowing blue giants wrecking buildings."

Sakanaka makes a face in reply to that. "Sounds like a nightmare to me," she opines.

"Nah, not really. Honestly, they tend to happen when I'm upset about something, and it's actually kind of fun to watch them trashing everything." I give her a grin at that. "Kind of like I get to smash the world and start over, you know?"

She wraps up her bento as we finish up. "But what about people getting hurt, or things like that? Even if it is just a dream, it'd still be awful to have to watch that kind of thing."

"There's never any other people in the dream," I answer. "At least that I can-"

I catch myself as _that_ dream comes to mind, and I can feel my face color a bit as the memory comes back. Not that I try to remember this a lot! ...but it's definitely something that sticks in my mind. "Okay, I _have_ seen other people in them, but it's really rare and no one's ever gotten hurt."

"Well, that's a bit better, then," Sakanaka says, smiling a bit as we head towards the stairwell leading off the roof. "If that's the way it is, I could see it being fun, if you're looking forward to getting to make the world the way you want it to be. That's the fun part of dreams, at least to me - getting to see all the totally impossible things that can't happen in the real world.

"Oh- not that they can't happen at all!" She catches herself, blushing a little. "I know that's the kind of thing you're looking for in your club, I just meant-"

I wave it off as we enter the classroom again. "I know what you mean," I reply. "I'm still sure I can find a lot of interesting and strange things in the real world, but there's just way more that's possible in a dream. Things like aliens or time travelers or espers could still be out there for real, but I don't really think I'll ever find stuff like, say, pink dragons or unicorns in real life."

Kyon's two buddies have already headed back to their seats, and he gives me an odd look as he catches the end of what I'm saying. Sakanaka just giggles, nodding in agreement as she takes her seat.

"What are you looking at?" I demand, giving Kyon a scowl as I sit down myself.

He just shakes his head. "Nothing, just thought I heard something particularly strange there."

I just snort in reply, putting my head down on my desk as the first teacher for the afternoon comes in. At least I've got the teachers' assignment patterns worked out for now, so maybe I can get some 'dreaming time' in before the Brigade meeting after school.

Or at least that was the plan - which failed miserably, thanks to Kyon... although I should probably be thankful to him for that. While I had the regular assignments right, what I forgot to take into account was that Golden Week is coming up next week, and the teachers are handing out extra homework to be done over the holiday. Which reminds me, I haven't made any plans for the time off yet myself...

* * *

><p>"All right, it's time to get serious about finding something unusual!" I slam my hand down on my desk, startling the rest of the Brigade - who, as usual, are reverting to their everyday, boring routine without me pushing them. Kyon and Koizumi just finished setting up the Othello board, Yuki is messing around with one of the club's laptops, and Mikuru is just starting to serve the tea when I make my announcement.<p>

"Golden Week is coming up next week, and with that much time to search and set traps, we _have_ to be able to find something - maybe a secret agent deep undercover, or a lost youkai wandering the back alleys!" I fix my gaze on each of the Brigade members in turn to gauge reactions, but nothing is any different than usual... figures.

Kyon shakes his head. "Even if we did find or catch something like that, what would we do with it then? Where would we keep it?"

"Fine then - what do _you_ suggest for the vacation, smart guy?" I snap back. "And don't tell me 'nothing'!"

He gives me back one of those long-suffering sighs that he's so good at - does he practice that at home or something? - before he replies. "Since we've got a full week off, what about a trip somewhere? I doubt we'd be able to go far since it's only a week, but..."

I consider it for a minute. He does have something of a point; it's not like we've had much luck finding anything here, lately, so a change of venue seems like a good idea. There's only one real question, though.

"Okay, fine - then where do we go?"

That just gets me a shrug in response - typical.

"Then you're in charge of figuring that out!" I point at him to emphasize the point. "You'd better come up with something by tomorrow, since we don't have a lot of extra time to plan!"

"Of course," he returns dryly.

That guy... he has no imagination at all! At this rate, I want to see what he comes up with just to see how severe his penalty is going to end up being!

* * *

><p>The next day after class, I make sure to haul Kyon with me to the club room. He's got an assignment, after all, and I'm not letting him slack off on this one! Of course, we end up making it there before anyone else does and we have to wait anyway, but better that than having to deal with excuses if he was late.<p>

"All right, Kyon, you've had a whole day to come up with something - this better be good!" I announce, once the Brigade has finished assembling. I put my hands on my hips, looking at him expectantly as I wait to hear what he's planning.

The results of this... aren't encouraging. Kyon sighs a bit, not meeting my gaze as he responds. "Well... I don't have much," he hedges. "I don't know about everyone else, but for myself I don't have enough saved up to take a trip and stay overnight somewhere. I was thinking maybe we could take the train to Kyoto and check out the old castles and temples." He shrugs uncomfortably before continuing. "I know everyone's probably been before, but... I honestly couldn't come up with anything else that I'd actually be able to do."

I scowl at that - Kyoto's just so _normal_ - but he does have a point about the money; I don't have a lot saved up either. "How lame," I grouse. "Still, though, if that's all you can afford, I suppose it can't be helped. We can check out the old ruins for ghosts or youkai, I guess." That does remind me of a weekend trip I'd thought of myself, though. "If we're just doing day trips, though, we could scout out Himeji Castle too - there's a pretty famous ghost story associated with it."

The others don't really show any unexpected reactions to the suggestion. Koizumi seems pleased enough with it (although he generally seems to be okay with most things; there isn't much I've seen that will get him upset.) Yuki just glances up from her book to look at Kyon for a moment, and Mikuru has that somewhat lost look she almost always has when something's actually happening. Kyon himself still seems a bit dissatisfied, though - what's the story there? It's not like I said it was the worst idea in the world or something!

"What's your problem?" I fire at him. "Yeah, the idea is kind of lame, but I do have to admit that it's at least something we can do on short notice."

He looks for a moment like he's about to reply to that, then just shakes his head. "Never mind, not important," he says, waving off my impatient stare.

"Not good enough!" I snap back. "If there's something on your mind, spit it out!"

He frowns as he replies. "Eh... Kyoto is easy, but I can't help but feel like it'll be boring. I don't know about you, but I've been there so many times on school trips that I could probably start giving the guided tour speeches myself."

I shake my head irritably. "Yeah, but it's still better than just hanging around here doing more regular mystery searches," I counter. "Why, did you have something better in mind?"

"Well, sort of," Kyon says, scratching the back of his head. "I was thinking going to Okinawa would make a great vacation."

"This isn't just about a vacation, Kyon!" I start in on him, but he holds up a hand to stop me before I can really get going. Koizumi gives him a curious look as well, but Mikuru and Yuki are both lost in their own worlds - one making tea, one buried in her book.

"I figured you'd say that, so I thought if we went we might be able to see about checking out the Yonaguni Monument." Kyon sits back with a slight smile. He seems to notice Koizumi looking slightly lost, then explains. "It's a weird underwater rock formation just off one of the Ryukyu Islands. Really mysterious - no one's sure if it's a natural formation or something man-made.

"I like the idea - who wouldn't enjoy a trip down there, after all - but it's more of a dream trip. I don't think any of us knows how to scuba dive, and at least for the monument, there's no other way to check it out directly." He shrugs at that.

That's actually... a pretty impressive idea, considering the source. I'm kind of surprised he even _knew_ about the Yonaguni Monument - Kyon's usually really reliable, but creative isn't a term I'd normally apply to him.

Of course, this is Kyon we're talking about. "A dream trip, huh?" While I'll privately admit to being impressed, there's no _way_ I'm telling him that - he'd just take it as an excuse to get even more complacent, and he's lazy enough as it is. I don't want to come down on it as lame, since it actually isn't, but I need something to use to spin my response... then I remember talking with Sakanaka at lunch yesterday, and I know just what to do. "Dreams are supposed to be full of wild and impossible things, and that's the best you can come up with?"

He gapes for a minute in surprise, then shuts his mouth and frowns a bit, which gives me enough time to continue. "I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but as a dream? Too tame, it's something we could actually do - even if it would be hard to arrange."

Kyon shakes his head a bit. "Most of the dreams I remember aren't exactly what I'd call good trips - they're usually at home or at school, just that things are weird in one way or another."

I frown a bit at that... but then, I have to admit that most of the dreams that I can remember are the same way. "I guess that's kind of true," I sigh. "It's not like you can pick and choose where you go when you're dreaming."

And then the last person I expected to contribute chips in. "A-actually, that's not _entirely_ true," Mikuru ventures. "I've heard there's actually a technique to let you take control of your dreams - it's called lucid dreaming."

I raise an eyebrow at that. "I think I remember hearing about something like that before, too, but how did you know about it?"

Mikuru starts a bit at the question, looking embarrassed for some reason - what, it's not _that_ strange a question! She fumbles with the skirt of her uniform for a minute before replying, not meeting anyone's eyes. "It... I... um... it's something I learned about before I, um, came to Kitago."

I shrug - I don't see why that's anything to get embarrassed about. The others look somewhat interested, but I don't see why it's important at all. No one seems curious enough to pursue it, anyway, and as gazes turn back to me I nod.

"Anyway! Plans are set for next week, so be ready! Kyon's right, we've all been to Kyoto plenty of times before, so try to find unusual things to look into for this trip!" I nod sharply, then head over to my desk to start researching myself.

It goes pretty well, for the most part. It doesn't take me long to find more information about the ghost story I'd heard about Himeji Castle, but most of it is stuff I already remembered - nothing really all that new. The idea of poking over a ton of websites about landmarks in Kyoto is boring as hell - at least for now, anyway - so I start browsing sites at random.

After some random clicking around on sites about famous temples, I come across one talking about Houryuu-ji, a Buddhist temple in the Nara prefecture. It's close enough for us to reach on a day trip, and I haven't been there myself, at least. No ghost stories that I can find, though; I'll keep it in mind as a backup, at least, if we can't find enough interesting stuff to check out in Kyoto.

I'm just about to leave the page and look for something else when I notice the name of one of the landmarks at the site - the Hall of Dreams. Nothing all that special by itself, but it does remind me of my talk with Sakanaka again, and Mikuru's slightly odd statement about controlling dreams earlier in the meeting. I figure I've got enough research done for today, and so I decide to do some research on this 'lucid dreaming' thing.

I'm so absorbed in my reading that I don't even notice Mikuru and Koizumi leaving. I only notice Kyon and Yuki because Kyon comes over to the computer to check on me, bag in hand.

"Uh, we're headed out now," he fumbles out. "The bell for the end of club meetings sounded a few minutes ago, so..."

I blink a couple of times as I look up at him. This is pretty interesting stuff, all about different types of sleep and the way lucid dreaming works - and the fact that anyone can learn how to do it - but he has a point; I can't stay here reading all night. "Mmmm, okay, go on ahead - I'll lock up once you guys are gone."

Kyon nods at that, and he heads out ahead of Yuki. I don't really pay her too much attention as I get the computer shut down, but I do notice that she lingers next to the table for a minute before she leaves, while I'm waiting for the computer to finish powering off. Normally I wouldn't think anything of it, except that when I collect my own bag, I notice that there's a book on the end of the table - kind of an aqua green color, about the size of a textbook; it doesn't look like the novels that Yuki usually reads, or that are all over the shelves in here. It's a little odd, since Yuki almost never leaves her books laying around, but when I turn it over, I notice that it seems to be about lucid dreaming, of all things! Maybe she noticed what I was reading and had a book she wanted to offer me?

I shake my head, stuffing it in my bag before I head out and lock up the club room. However it got there, I can certainly put it to good use - after what I was reading about online, I kind of want to try it myself now!

* * *

><p>I don't have much opportunity for reading it that night, though; homework assignments for the vacation week ahead are starting to get issued, and since I don't want to waste any of my vacation time doing it, that means taking more time than usual to finish it up at home. I don't bother to take the book out of my bag before school the next day, though; if nothing else, I might be able to start in on it at lunchtime.<p>

Kyon seems even more lethargic than usual today, though. I'll admit to being slightly curious as to why, but if it's something important I'm sure he'll tell me at some point. The day goes by pretty much as normal aside from that, but I don't get much time at lunch to do much of anything, unfortunately - the squeeze at the cafeteria is worse than usual and I barely even have time to finish eating.

After class ends, I head off to the club room like I normally do; there's nothing pressing today, so I don't bother to wait up for Kyon. Yuki's the only one in the room - unsurprisingly - and so I go through my usual routine while I wait for the others to arrive: checking the club's email address and website to see how many visitors we've had, scanning through a few 'news of the weird' websites to see if anything interesting has happened nearby that's worth checking out. Nothing on any front today, though, but that's not really that big a deal - this is mostly just to kill time while the slowpokes take their time getting here.

Mikuru's just stepped into the room and started changing when my phone buzzes; it's a message from Koizumi - apparently something came up with his part-time job on short notice, and he won't be able to come to the club meeting today. Which sucks, of course, but without any major plans for the day it doesn't bother me all that much. After I delete the message, I hit 2ch for a while, but I've only just pulled up the first thread on the paranormal board when I realize: why isn't Kyon here yet?

Mikuru is just starting to pour the tea when I stand up and look over the computer. "Where the hell is Kyon, anyw-"

And of course, that's when he finally opens the door and comes in, although he looks pretty tired. That's no excuse for not telling me back in the classroom, though, so of course I call him out on it. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Sorry," he says wearily. "I was- well, I guess it's not all that important." He shuffles over to his seat, not meeting anyone's eyes - I don't like this one bit.

I'm about to snap at him again to demand an explanation, but he manages to beat me to it - barely. "So, er, I have some not-so-good news," he mumbles. "I mentioned our plans for next week over dinner last night, and apparently my parents neglected to inform me that we're heading out to the country again this year."

I grind my teeth. "Kyon... you didn't tell them you had other plans?" I slam my hands down on my desk. "You have Brigade duties!"

"I tried!" he protests. "I told them I had stuff planned with my club, but my mother insisted! My grandmother isn't doing too well, and Mom wants to make sure she gets a chance to see me and my little sister, so they've been planning a big family reunion out in the country for a while."

His shoulders slump, and he rests his arms on the table in front of him. "I even tried to explain that I'd be fine staying home by myself for the week, but my mother insisted - there's absolutely no way I can get out of going."

I clench my teeth at that; I can feel the beginning of a headache coming on already. "Rrrgh... This sucks!" I'm mad enough to want to throw something, but I guess I can't really blame Kyon here - it _does_ sound like he made a decent attempt at trying to get out of it, and in this case it's not like we have any travel arrangements that'll be screwed up by him missing the trip. We could always claim there were, but from the way Kyon's making it sound his mom would want proof, and we don't have any.

I stalk over to the window, turning my back to the club room as I rest my hands on the sill and stare out into the courtyard. The Brigade isn't dumb enough to interrupt my mood, at least for the most part; Mikuru does set down a cup of tea, although whether it's just her routine or a peace offering I'm not sure. Either way, the tea is as good as always, and the heat from a long draught of it helps me calm down a bit.

When I turn back to face the others, Kyon looks like a man waiting for his execution, and Mikuru keeps casting nervous glances between him and me; I notice out of the corner of my eye that Yuki doesn't actually have her nose buried in a book for a change, either - she's looking at Kyon, too. I cross my arms, considering what to say for a moment; he seems to pick up on the fact that I'm looking at him at that point and essays a sickly smile.

"So, I'm guessing I've got some kind of penalty," he tries, at least looking at me now even if he's got trouble meeting my eyes.

I think about that for a moment; I definitely _could_ penalize him for this, since he's going to be absent for a lot of activities, but in consideration, what would the point really be? He already looks pretty miserable about it - which tells me that he wanted to come with the Brigade, and from what he said he did make a pretty decent try at staying behind to do the Brigade activities instead.

And, frankly, Kyon picks up plenty of penalties for things that _are_ his fault - so it's not really that hard a decision to make. "No, no penalty," I reply, shaking my head. "It's not like it was your fault this time, since your mom sprung this on you out of nowhere."

He relaxes a bit at that, which tells me I shouldn't let him off the hook completely, either. "Since you won't be with the rest of us doing Brigade activities, though, you're going to have a separate assignment!" I announce, just as he starts to get settled back in his chair - which makes his head snap over in my direction.

He lets out a sigh at that - so predictable - and finally manages to really look at me. "Alright, I suppose I don't have too much room to argue, since I'm not getting any other penalties. What is it?"

I rub my chin in thought. "I don't know yet, but there's still a couple of days before the holiday starts. I'll give you your assignment tomorrow," I decide.

"Fine," is the response. "It'll probably beat doing homework, anyway, and I imagine I'll have plenty of time for it - I suspect I'm going to spend a lot of time saddled with babysitting my cousins."

I can't help but make a face at that - I hate babysitting. I've only had to do it a couple of times, at least, but it always ends up boring as hell; half the stuff the kids want to do sounds interesting, but usually their parents warned me specifically not to let them do that. Such a pain. Tutoring isn't so bad, though; I have something to focus on myself, in that case, and if I can make it interesting, the kid usually isn't any trouble.

"Better you than me," I aver. "Anyway, since it looks like things aren't going to go anywhere today, and Koizumi called out anyway, club is dismissed. Mikuru-chan, Yuki, keep looking into stuff we can do nearby - Kyon may not be coming along, but that doesn't mean we're canceling our Golden Week plans!"

Yuki just nods in reply, and Mikuru adds a nervous confirmation. I give them both a nod, shooing Kyon out of the room so Mikuru can change out of her maid costume before I head over to shut down the computer.

What a drag. I can't help but think that taking a bunch of trips to old landmarks is going to be a lot less interesting without Kyon - even if the trips wouldn't be all that different with him there, the snarky comments would have been worth it.

* * *

><p>I spend most of the trip home trying to come up with ideas for things Kyon could do while he's away. Obviously things like mystery searches are out; even if I believed he'd actually stick to it without supervision, it wouldn't really be something he could do if he's stuck watching his cousins.<p>

He didn't say _where_ in the country his family lives; maybe I should find out and have him look into finding out about any local legends or things... but then I remember that this is where Kyon's family is from. He's demonstrated a few times that he's at least slightly interested in old stories or tales of the unusual - hell, even yesterday he showed it by knowing about Yonaguni. That said, though, he probably _already_ knows any legends around there, so telling him to look for any is basically just giving him a free pass.

I toss around a couple of other ideas as I finish the trip home, but can't come up with anything solid. Since the Brigade meeting broke up early I'm home quite a bit earlier than usual, and to top that off Mom texted me to let me know she'd be working late tonight, too, so I've got an empty house to keep me company for most of the night - not something I particularly enjoy all that much.

I head up to my room to knock out my homework first, and it's while I'm digging through my bag that I come across the book that Yuki left yesterday. I wonder...

Homework comes first, though - no sense in getting behind, even if my mind is on other things right now. I shove the book to the back of my mind and buckle down to the task at hand, first. At least with the extra motivation, even the extra vacation assignments don't hold me up for long.

Once everything's done, though, I grab the book and flop back on my bed with it, considering the idea. While I haven't gotten too far into the book itself, from what I read online yesterday it said that just about anyone could learn to become aware of and then control their dreams with some effort. For an assignment... Well, learning to control dreams is definitely cool; maybe not all that unusual, but it'd still be pretty awesome - being able to change the world around you to become whatever you want, even if it does go away when you wake up.

If anyone can learn to do it, though, then Kyon can - he's about as 'average guy' as they come. I can see a couple of bonuses, too; if he's spending all day doing stuff with his family, this is still something he can do at night, since it's not like they could distract him that much while he's sleeping. On top of that, maybe the ability to do whatever he wants in his dreams will help him bring out that creative side more - I see flashes of it every now and then, like when he originally suggested making the Brigade, and given the kinds of things he can come up with when it _does_ show up...

The movie's the best example I can think of. I'll admit to being irritated with his improvised narration at first, but in going back later and watching? I really don't think it'd be quite as good without it. There was definitely plenty of room for improvement there - on everyone's part, really. Even I made some mistakes there - but the less said about that, the better.

It's decided, then. I'll talk to him tomorrow and give him this assignment - I just hope it works out as well as I think it can!

* * *

><p>After waking up, I'm mildly annoyed to realize that I haven't remembered anything about my dreams, even since getting interested in lucid dreaming. I know that remembering your dreams is supposed to be part of it, but it's not like I can just snap my fingers and go 'okay, I want to remember my dreams now!' and it'll happen. Anyway, once Kyon learns to do it, I can grill him on how he got it working, and then try it out myself - it'll probably be easier to learn it from someone that knows how than it would be from the book, anyway.<p>

I'm feeling impatient all morning, though, so I head back to the classroom after picking up my lunch to talk to Kyon. Unsurprisingly, he's occupied when I enter the room - as usual, Kunikida and that halfwit Taniguchi. The fifteen minute wonder catches sight of me coming back in right away, though, so by the time I make it back to my desk they've already fled to their own side of the classroom. Honestly, I don't even know why I agreed to go out with him in middle school - it's not like I didn't know exactly how it was going to turn out.

Kyon just raises an eyebrow as I reclaim my seat. He'd already turned his desk around to face mine since the two stooges were over here, so at least talking is easier than usual.

"Something on your mind?" he prompts, once I settle back and start eating. "It's a bit unusual to see you in here at lunchtime."

"I'm working on putting your assignment together," I reply. "First off, though, how often do you remember your dreams?"

He blinks a couple of times at that. "...what? Where'd that come from?"

"Just answer the question!" I snap back.

"Good grief," he mutters, just on the edge of my hearing, which just serves to irritate me further. Before I can yell at him to take this seriously, though, he actually does answer the question. "Not all that often, or at least not for very long. Most of the time I don't remember anything, but every once in a while I'll have some fuzzy recollection - but even that's usually gone by the time I get to school."

That's about what I expected, really. The same is true for me for the most part, too, except for a few rare things - like the dream about the giants, from last year. I remember that one really well even now, almost a year later.

But given that, maybe he's got something similar? "What about any particularly memorable dreams?" I continue, cutting off something he was about to say. "Even if you don't remember most of them, surely there are some that you don't forget!"

"Uh, actually there's nothing I-" He catches himself in mid-sentence, giving me a long, considering look.

Why is he looking at me like that? Do I have rice on my face or something? I take a minute to wipe my face, not taking my eyes off Kyon, but his expression doesn't change at all.

"What's with that look?" I challenge him. "Let me guess, it's something perverted that you don't want to tell me." I don't really think that's it, though - he doesn't look even slightly embarrassed, and if it really was something weird like that I imagine he'd be red in the face or fidgety.

He sighs in response to that, finally breaking his stare. "No, nothing like that," he mumbles. "There's really only one dream I remember well.

"You were in it, but before you jump on me about it there was nothing perverted about it at all. We were here at the school, and there were these giant blue... things, destroying the school building and everything around it."

For no apparent reason, I can feel my heart start pounding in my chest - this sounds _way_ too familiar. I can actually feel more than see it, but Kyon's looking at me again, so I fight hard not to show any kind of reaction to it.

"So... I was in it, huh?" I manage to get out. "What was I doing then, if I was in it and it wasn't anything perverted?"

"You were..." Kyon sighs. "You were excited about the blue things clearing everything away to make way for something new and better, and I was afraid that we'd end up losing everything we already had if that happened."

Okay, this is seriously weirding me out - if I didn't know better, I'd swear he was talking about _my_ dream. "Was that all?"

For some reason that makes him look away. "That's... there might have been more, but a lot of the details are fuzzy," he finishes, not meeting my gaze - and I feel sure that he's either lying or not telling me the whole truth there. Given what he _did_ say, though, I somehow don't think that pressing for more is such a good idea right now.

"I'll keep it in mind, thanks," I mumble, turning to face the window as I try to get my thoughts organized. Is it possible that somehow Kyon saw my dream - or that I saw his? That seems almost like it could be some kind of psychic power, although Kyon's about the last person I could imagine having some kind of unusual power.

Maybe it's just possible that dreams can overlap somehow? Geez, now _I_ want to work on controlling my dreams to see if it really is! I rest my chin on my hand as I stare out the window; I can't help but frown a bit as I consider. I still like the idea of making Kyon work on learning to remember and control his dreams, but now I want to learn it myself, too - and there's only one book.

Then I have to resist the urge to smack myself in the forehead for being so shortsighted. I may only have one copy of the book _now_, but there's nothing stopping me from going to the library or a bookstore to get another copy, is there? With that settled, I turn back to my food in earnest. Kyon looks slightly puzzled, but apparently not enough to actually ask what's going on. He'll find out soon enough, anyway.

* * *

><p>I wait until after classes have started before I write down the full title and author of the book; I don't want to tip Kyon off to what I have in mind until the club meeting today. Once that's done, the rest of the day's classes drag, as usual when I'm excited about the Brigade meeting or something else after school.<p>

Once the chime sounds for the end of classes, I'm off like a shot to the club room. I don't really feel like hauling Kyon along today, and having an extra few minutes to get ready for him won't hurt, either.

I'm just finishing up my usual online checks when Kyon and Koizumi make it into the room; I glance up as they come in, but it isn't until then that I notice: "Where's Mikuru-chan?" I ask, looking between Kyon and Yuki.

Yuki just gives me a blank look in return, Kyon shrugging before the door opens again, a breathless Mikuru entering behind the boys. "Sorry I'm late," she pants. "I had to, um, run a quick errand for someone before the meeting." She's breathing heavily, which just makes that unreasonable chest stand out even more...

Dammit, focus! This is no time to be getting distracted! I manage to unclench my fist, turning my gaze to Kyon as he and Koizumi take their seats, Mikuru glancing over at the costume rack nervously before she heads over to start making tea. Koizumi looks like he's about to go get a board game out when he notices me looking in their direction.

"Is there something I can do for you, Suzumiya-san?" he asks, half out of his seat.

"No, you're not the one who has a special Brigade assignment for next week," I retort, putting my hands on my hips as I look at Kyon.

"I take it this means you've decided what my assignment is going to be," he responds dryly, shifting in his seat to face me.

My only answer is to pull the book out of my bag, then walk over to the table to slam it down in front of him.

"What's this?" He gives it a puzzled look, only briefly glancing at the title.

"That's your assignment," I tell him, as Koizumi cranes his neck over the table to get a look for himself. "It's a book on lucid dreaming - remembering and even controlling your dreams. While you're out in the country, I expect you to learn how to do it, and then report back on your findings!"

Kyon seems at a loss for a moment as he responds. "Okay, I guess... Any particular reason for studying this?"

"Well, if you have to do stuff with your family, you obviously aren't going to have time to go out searching for mysterious things," I explain. "That means studying something, and since you can't exactly get a book on how to be psychic, this seems like a good idea!"

Mikuru is looking at the book with wide eyes now, while Kyon scratches his head in confusion. "Okay, I guess that makes sense, but... why dreams?"

"Because all sorts of amazing things can happen in dreams - there are lots of stories of famous people being inspired by dreams, like the guy who invented the sewing machine or the author of _Frankenstein_. Who knows what kinds of things you could come up with in your dreams?"

He puffs up a little at that. "Well, I suppose it would be interesting to remember more of what I dream about... maybe I could dream about something important like that."

I don't like the slightly self-satisfied look on his face at that, so I can't resist bringing him down a notch. "Besides, from what I've been reading, supposedly anyone can learn how to dream like that - so if you can learn it, that absolutely proves it!"

"Of course," he sighs.

* * *

><p>The rest of the meeting is pretty quiet; Koizumi and Kyon settle into one of their usual board games and I spend most of the rest of the time browsing through 2ch. Since there's just tomorrow and the half-holiday for Showa Day left this week, I declare the Brigade in recess until next Monday - this is still a vacation after all, so giving everyone some free time is fine.<p>

After the meeting breaks up, I decide to hit the library first. I shouldn't need the book for long; once I've learned how to do lucid dreaming myself, I won't need it any more, obviously. I appear to be in luck, though; after I look up the book in the catalog, I head over to the shelf where it's supposed to be just in time to catch a librarian putting it back on the shelf - it was just returned earlier today, apparently.

It doesn't take me long to get the book checked out, and from there I grab some dinner from a cart serving ramen on the way home - Mom said she had to work late to finish up some projects before the holiday started, so I've been on my own for dinner all week long, and I don't feel like cooking tonight.

Once I'm settled in at home, I decide to skip homework for tonight and crack open the book. There's nothing due at this point until after Golden Week, so losing a night to something else isn't going to kill me. The first order of business, though, is to see what this has to say about sharing dreams with other people...

It's not until Mom gets home that I realize I've spent almost three hours reading, the slamming of the door behind her jarring me out of my focus. On the down side, my ramen is stone cold now, but at least I have a fairly good grasp of the fundamentals of how lucid dreaming works, and I should be able to start practicing soon - even tonight, if I feel like it.

It didn't say anything about being able to see other people's dreams, though, but that's okay; this seems more like an instruction manual than a major treatise on dreams and how they work. It definitely doesn't say anything about it _not_ being possible, though, so it's worth putting some effort into trying out. It might take a little while, but I'm absolutely certain that with some practice I'll be able to find Kyon's dreams!


	2. Dream Country

In Your Dreams

Chapter Two: Dream Country

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>After Haruhi's dismissal, I go home and am too irritated by the amounts of homework that are building up to think about much else. Other than the welcome distraction of helping my little sister take care of her own homework, there wasn't anything else to worry about, anyway.<p>

Thinking those thoughts, my eyes pass across the cover of the book Haruhi had expected me to read.

Lucid dreaming, huh? I admit some vague familiarity with the concept, thanks to internet searches in distant years - right next to astral projection as something interesting, but which I expected most normal people could not accomplish.

I have to wonder, though ... if I could control my dreams, would that mean that I could reshape the dreaming world as I saw fit? Just like Haruhi could reshape the waking world, though doesn't know it?

A strange thought...

* * *

><p>I awaken the next morning remembering no dreams whatsoever. Strangely, that's almost my first thought upon waking: to wonder what I'd experienced in my subconscious mind. In other words, I find myself emerging from the cocoon of sleep and immediately wondering if I'd missed something.<p>

For this reason, I attempt to burrow back into my bedding and chase the elusive spectre of slumber. The dreaded little-sister-elbow-drop crushes that hope, leaving me grumbling and contemplative until I leave for school. I remember so few of my dreams anyway, I shouldn't be surprised...

Really, I didn't feel I had any other options to discuss when Haruhi mentioned dreams. Was it maybe ... too much? Mostly, I felt like I had to test to find out if _she_ still remembered, since it was the only real 'dream' related topic I felt we had in common. It was a gamble that she wouldn't call me on that final detail, though.

Haruhi can be difficult to read, but I feel I've developed something of an understanding of her moods. I'm not positive, but I suspect that she still remembers, too. Certainly, I'd be treading on dangerous ground if I told her the last piece. Even so, for a heartbeat, I thought she might call my bluff and ask how it ended. I'm not about to forget that any time soon, and it seems that she isn't, either.

Those thoughts occupy me until I reach the bottom of the hill leading to school.

I begin the Sisyphean trudge up the slope, burdened only by the stone of wondering why Haruhi isn't more upset about things. As if my thoughts of Greek figures summoned the wrath of their legendary gods, a messenger of despair appears by my side. He accompanies me on the walk and shows none of the effort I put into it, keeping up with me without a trace of strain.

"Koizumi," I greet him, grudgingly, when we reach a corner and need to wait for the signal to change.

"Good morning," he says brightly, glancing around to ensure no one is too near once we cross the street with the light. When he's confident that no one's in earshot he remarks, "It's strange ... but Suzumiya-san does not seem to be as agitated as I would expect over your announcement."

"Maybe she's growing up a bit," I counter, frowning.

It's not like Haruhi hasn't shown increasing maturity as time has gone on - really, I have to confess that my greater annoyance is that I finally established a plan for a Brigade activity that wasn't crazy, only to find out I couldn't even participate. It's fairly rare when my ideas make it to being genuinely considered by our chief, so achieving another 'win,' and not even being there to see the results?

"Or maybe she'll use the time I'm gone to devise some 'more interesting' plan," I sigh, a little disappointed at the thought she'd forget about it without me there.

"Possibly," Koizumi allowed. "All the same, I think it would be for the best if you were to focus on your assigned task. Even if you cannot succeed, surely Suzumiya-san will expect some record of your efforts?"

I sigh once more and tug at the collar of my summer uniform, grateful at least that this week I haven't had to wear the heavier winter gear in the warming sun.

When I don't say anything, Koizumi continues, "Even though I give that suggestion, I must agree with the concept of Suzumiya-san calming down lately. It has been some time since there was an incident requiring my intervention, for example."

I didn't ask, Koizumi. Though I suppose, thinking about it, I am actually a bit glad for the esper that he doesn't have to put up with that so much anymore.

"Well, thank you, but it was never truly that bad- As I've told you before, the primary difficulty was simply getting to the place where the closed spaces appeared."

"Well, there's that, at least," I agree, relieved to have defeated the hill once more.

* * *

><p>After an otherwise unremarkable day of class, I turn around to see that Haruhi's already storming out the door without a backward glance. I suppose that means she's preoccupied with something, but with the Brigade not meeting, my feet find themselves flowing like water along the path of least resistance.<p>

After avoiding Taniguchi and Kunikida, I clear the school gate, enjoying the much easier down-hill walk. Almost immediately around the corner of the gate, however, I spot a pair of familiar heads of hair.

"Asahina-san, Tsuruya-san," I call in greeting, waving at the duo.

"Haha, Kyon-kun!" Tsuruya-san chirps as I catch up. "Good to see you!"

"Hello, Kyon-kun," Asahina-san echoes more faintly, both of them turning me bright smiles.

The thought of asking Asahina-san for help on this, and then the memory of what her usual answer is... To say nothing of the upperclassman at her side, anyway. I don't really know what Tsuruya-san knows, but best not to give anything away.

"You looks like you've got a question!" Tsuruya-san adds, smirking knowingly, her eyes piercing right through me, like Haruhi's gaze sometimes does.

"Eh, well," I mumble, looking away, unable to meet that stare for long. "It's nothing important," I deflect, shaking my head with a rolling shrug of my shoulders.

"Is that so?"

Then again, there's no real reason to hide this, so I admit: "Well... Haruhi's got me trying to learn lucid dreaming, but as far as I can tell, the first step is to remember your dreams. I don't often remember mine, so ... I suppose I was just wondering if you two often remember your dreams?"

"Er, um," Asahina-san begins, looking suddenly flustered. "That's cla- Um, I mean, secret..."

The girl at her side doesn't skip a beat. "Me? Well, only sometimes!" Tsuruya-san says brightly, bobbing her head energetically. "Hm! The last time I had Mikuru overnight, I dreamed about-"

"T-Tsuruya-san," Asahina-san protests, her face flushing crimson.

Tsuruya-san's grin widens, and she grabs onto Asahina-san's arm, holding her tight as she continues, "I dreamed about smoked cheeses! A whole worlds made of nothing but delicious smoked cheeses, just like in that story I wrotes for Haru-nyan!"

"Ah," Asahina-san frets, looking inexplicably ashamed at this, her ability to protest somehow restrained by Tsuruya-san's semi-embrace.

I can't help but wonder what it's about, and Tsuruya-san's grin widens even further as she gleefully exclaims, "And when I woke up, my pillows was _gone_!"

It's impossible to keep from laughing at the fanged upperclassman's jokes, even one this simple, so a chuckle escapes me while Asahina-san looks even more embarrassed.

"True story!" Tsuruya-san adds, waggling her eyebrows. Then, releasing the other girl's arm, she leans closer to me and in a conspiratorial whisper adds, "Mikuru stole my pillows in her sleep~!"

"Augh," Asahina-san whimpers, one hand covering her face as she blushes even more deeply. "I- I didn't mean to!" she whimpers. "I'm so, so _very_ sorry, Tsuruya-san! I...it was an accident!"

The grinning upperclassman belts out a laugh and shakes her head as quickly as she had bobbed it - whipping her hair around her in a green cloud for a moment before it settles. "Don't be!" she cheers. "It's a great story!"

Then, even Asahina-san begins to laugh. Then we're all pretty much unable to speak, and it takes effort to keep my eyes from tearing at the hilarity, thinking of that story that Tsuruya-san wrote. After a minute of that, we reach the corner where they will turn away to reach Tsuruya-san's home.

"Ah, but-" Tsuruya-san pauses to chuckle again. "Don't worries about it, Kyon-kun! If Haru-nyan thinks you can do it, I'm sure you cans!"

"Thanks," I manage belatedly, waving to the pair.

"Don't forget to study, too, though," she says in a friendly tone, giving me a wink before she turns away. "I had to quits the calligraphy club for more study time, this years! Take care, Kyon-kun!"

"Y...yes, good luck, Kyon-kun," Asahina-san echoes, giving me an abbreviated bow, still blushing a bit from Tsuruya-san's teasing. "Um, I think you'll do just fine!" she adds, before passing beyond earshot.

And with that, most of my worries are alleviated.

* * *

><p>When I awaken the next morning for both a half-day of school - and the trip out to the country - I find I am immediately searching my hazy recollections for a dream. The last thing I remember is wondering if I'd remember my dreams before I drifted off to sleep.<p>

Then, naturally, my little sister uses the less lethal blanket-strip-away maneuver. I get up before she can follow it with a more martial technique, and she giggles and runs away, leaving me in the cool morning air. At least it's not as frigid as it was just a few short months ago.

This is why Spring is my favorite season, generally.

I spent most of the last night doing my homework and packing for the trip, so today's lethargy is more justified. Even so, I hasten to school, eyeing the Olympus-like summit of the dreaded hill once more. Today's task feels somewhat less Heraculean, thanks to the lack of someone at my side showing no effort at the pace-

Until Nagato rounds a corner, blinking at me once before falling into step at my side.

I glance at her sidelong, stopping further up the street at the same corner where Koizumi caught up to me yesterday. The temptation to ask her for an additional reassurance is resisted, barely. It's seemingly in reach, but unlike Tantalus, I don't grasp for it; instead, I reflect back to how I had resolved to rely on her less.

That thought in mind, I say, "Good morning, Nagato."

She turns a cool gaze toward me, and after a heartbeat, gives a single nod of agreement.

"Are you looking forward to the vacation?" I ask, as the light changes and we step into the crosswalk, surrounded by the small crowd of other students on their way to class.

After a pause, she allows, in her tiny, almost inaudible voice, "A little bit."

Well... "Did you have anything planned for your day off, before the Brigade's trips start?" I prompt.

"Not really," is her quiet response.

"Hmm." I can't really like the thought of not participating, somehow. It's strange, but I think I've been involved in more activities with that group than Haruhi has. Given that, why should it bother me that I'm the one excluded this time?

Except that thinking about it, I have to admit how much I'd rather be with them than being stuck in the country. One shouldn't think of their family in such a way, but that is the source of my accursed nickname, and my once-beloved 'nee-chan' isn't there anymore.

A morose sigh escapes my lips instead of a triumphant cry when we crest the hill, and the school gates appear before us. Nagato blinks at me, but says nothing - so I offer her a mild smile and a shrug.

What else can I do?

* * *

><p>With a half-day of lessons to ignore and, and things to think about, I realize what it is that I can do. When the chime to end classes sounds, I'm prepared, and charge out straight after Haruhi, startling her when I pace her for a few steps.<p>

She stops and skids to a halt, her shoes sliding across the floor as she slips a bit, managing to regain her balance flawlessly and shooting me a hooded gaze. "Well?" she prompts, when I don't say anything immediately, trotting slightly past her for a more sedate stop.

For some reason, as Sakanaka is passing us, she giggles, shaking her head like she knows something I don't.

Since the other departing students are watching us, I shake my head irritably. "You should know that when I'm out in the mountains, cell phone reception is really bad," I tell her. "I thought - if there was an emergency, or something - you might want the phone number for my aunt's place."

A hint of some unreadable expression flickers across her face briefly, but she unhesitatingly whips out her cell phone, pummeling it for a few moments before thrusting it into my hands. "Where the heck does your family live, anyway?" she grouses, as I accept the device and program in my aunt's number. "The depths of _Hokkaido_?"

"It's still on Honshu," I say, a bit defensively, confirming the entry and handing Haruhi's phone back to her. "It's a place called Hinamizawa. Near the north end of the island, but definitely on this side of the Tsugaru Strait, in a valley not far from the slopes of Mt. Iwaki."

"At least Hokkaido would be _interesting_ in being remote," she grumbles. "So- Say I _do_ call for an emergency? What's this aunt's name, anyway?"

"Sonozaki Mion," I answer. "It's also possible you'd get my uncle, Sonozaki Keiichi."

"Alright," she allows, nodding. "Hey, walk with me and tell me about this place a bit?"

"I-" I check the time on my own phone and wince. "I have to run," I apologize. "If we miss our train, my parents are going to kill me!"

For a heartbeat, she looks like she's ready to reach out and grab my tie to hold me in place, but she restrains herself. Shaking her head as I dash away, she shouts after me, "At least take good pictures, or something!"

That chases me out of the school, and then I hustle home as quickly as I can. I remembered to pack, of course, but for all my foresight, my little sister did not plan so thoroughly. When I get there, my parents are running around, trying to gather things up. Little sister, naturally, hasn't even gotten the first articles of her clothing ready.

"Help me, Kyon-kun!" she demands, as I set down my own bags. Miyokichi - her family is staying in town, and taking care of Shamisen for us - stands in the hall holding our cat. He watches in seeming amusement, saying nothing as my little sister grabs my wrist and begins hauling me into her room.

I help get her bags down from the closet, and then help her pack - a little.

I may be her older brother, but my responsibilities have limits, and there are some things that I just won't do. Specifically: "Pack your own underwear!"

She pouts, looking toward Miyokichi for support. The more maturely behaved girl (even though they are the same age), shakes her head slightly, looking apologetic. Her pout only increasing, my little sister goes to pack her own underthings, while I retreat from such matters to handle my own luggage.

Thinking about recent events, I remember at the last minute to send my sister to my room to retrieve the book that Haruhi insisted I read, seeing as I'm burdened with bags for the pair of us already.

I'm too preoccupied handling all the luggage to do much beyond ensuring nothing is lost, leaving my sister to look deceptively cute and remain idle. Despite a vague sensation of being watched at the train station, I don't actually see anything except my younger sister giggling at something she must have thought was funny.

Well, in any case ... farewell for now ... Nishinomiya.

* * *

><p>Still being myself, given the choice between working on my homework on the train, or following the Brigade chief's latest assignment, well...<p>

I don't think she can complain that I did my Golden Week assignments first. I learned a lesson about putting it off last year during the summer break, so ignore my mother's far-too-pleased encouragement, and my father's joking suspicions that I've been replaced by some sort of doppelganger.

If it weren't for Haruhi's help studying, I wouldn't have been able to do it. Considering the annoyance of our transfers, moving from train to train... Nearly eight hours after we started our trip, when we leave the train stations behind, I'm done with my homework.

It's late, we're tired, and we get to enjoy another two hours in a cramped bus, not actually reaching the stop nearest Hinamizawa until near midnight. My little sister is asleep, carried by my mother as my father and I split the luggage between us once we disembark.

Fortunately, it's not far from the bus terminal to the parking lot, and from there my uncle greets us with a huge grin. "Heya!" he calls. "I'm sorry Mion-chan couldn't be here; the kids couldn't stay up this late, and she's watching over them."

"That's fine, An-chan," my mother says quietly, shifting the slumbering little sister in her arms. "We're just worn out from the trip."

"Always taking the late bus," Uncle Keiichi chides my mother, opening the doors to his car and then taking my sister from her arms as my father and I load things into the trunk. At this point, even though vacation has officially started, I haven't begun working on Haruhi's assignment. The bus didn't have good lighting, and most of the ride to Hinamizawa I was dozing off.

Once we make it to Aunt Mion's house, Uncle Keiichi escorts us inside, my little sister waking up enough to fumble her way into a futon in one of the guest bedrooms. I set her luggage down and stagger into my own guest bedroom, too tired to even think of dreaming.

* * *

><p>For a change of pace, I'm woken not by my little sister, but a flood of cousins - not just Aunt Mion and Uncle Keiichi's children, but some of their friends', as well. This means I get the full course - the deadly blanket-strip-away (and it is <em>colder<em> here in the mountains), the dreaded excited-cousin-tackle-grapple, and probably the most dangerous hazard of them all-

"Kyon-nii-sama!"

-my aunt Rika's nine-year-old daughter and her crush on me.

I couldn't possibly have troubled nee-chan like that, could I?

It's a chilling thought; almost as cold as the mountain air in the room.

Aunt Mion pokes her head through the doorway as I blearily sit up and blink the sleep from my eyes. She can't help but chuckle at the sight of her children - the twins, Naota and Makoto - as they manage to drag my unresisting form clear of the futon. Matsuri, Aunt Rika's daughter, is the one who's glomped onto my leg with her best attempt at a death-grip, her dusty purple hair shadowing her eyes as she looks up at me.

"Come along, now," the older woman chides. Before I can even take them all in, they reluctantly let me go, trooping away behind the green-haired head of the Sonozaki household. It hadn't occurred to me until just now, but I suppose if someone were to try and combine Asahina-san and Tsuruya-san, they'd get Aunt Mion - though she only wears kimono, now, Uncle Keiichi tells me she used to act and dress in a very tomboyish manner.

Usually just before he gets teasingly swatted upside the head.

I shake my head and climb to my feet, running a hand through my hair and glancing out the window. Early morning sunlight steams in, and outside I can see the slope of the mountain that Aunt Mion's house is on. She owns this whole mountain, after all, and a few of the surrounding ones, too.

"How are you doing this morning, Kyon-kun?" she asks, once she returns without any of the children.

"Fine," I answer, stifling a yawn. "Why are all the cousins here?"

Saying that, they aren't actually cousins by blood, outside of Aunt Mion's children, but in a village this small, Aunt Mion and Uncle Keiichi's friends are also considered aunts and uncles.

"Why wouldn't they be?" she counters. "Rena-chan's husband wanted all of us poor parents to gather for a brief reprieve from handling all of the children."

I think I can see where this is going, and I don't particularly like it. I try and steer my path away from the dark fate I sense waiting ahead of me. "A reprieve, you say?" I ask cautiously. "That sounds like fun- I haven't visited with my aunts and uncles in a while!"

She gives me a grin as though to say, 'Nice try,' and shakes her head. "Once you've gotten up, how do you feel about leading an expedition up into the hills for a picnic with your cousins?"

I think I actually miss the walk to school in the light of this. "Are... Are they all here?" I can't help but ask, the first hints of true fear rising within my stomach.

"Hmm," Aunt Mion muses thoughtfully, one hand rising to her chin, her long green ponytail swaying behind her as she contemplates. "You've got my twins, Naota and Makoto. Rika-chan's Matsuri and her younger brother Shutaro are here too, and then Rena-chan's Yurie-chan, Satoko-chan's Eiko-chan..."

She trails off with a thoughtful look as I resign myself to the task of watching over the cousins. At least I don't have to deal with-

"Oh! And my sister's children, too! Can't forget Azusa-chan and Yoko-chan!"

"Not the Houjou twins," I groan, before I can restrain myself.

She snorts at me and chides, "Well, if you take them up by the dam for a picnic, they couldn't possibly have set pit traps up there already."

"So that's the plan?" I ask, shaking my head, feeling my relaxing vacation slipping away, buried beneath a tide of rambunctious cousins.

"That's the plan," she agrees. "Oh! But Rena-chan made breakfast, so you can at least have that!"

I manage a smile at the reminder of the fact that among all of our parents, my mother is regarded as the worst cook - something she herself doesn't like to have pointed out. "There's that, at least," I sigh.

Aunt Mion snorts. "Take a few minutes to wake up and get ready - the bath is free," she advises.

"Alright," I agree, as she turns around, leaving me alone.

Given a minute to reorient, I glance around the room, which has a futon for me on the floor and is otherwise bare. My luggage is stacked in one corner, since I was too exhausted to put it in the closet, but I go to the window that was left open and put my elbows on the sill, looking outside.

Aunt Mion's home has a great view over the village below. The population is below five thousand, but from my vantage it actually looks smaller. Before the 'heart' of the village, a pair of secondary roads crossing the main route, there are farms. I remember playing in those rice fields in the past, but I have to admit, after leaving the city, the archaic, thatch-style roofs give everything a much more rustic, homely feel.

Have I become so used to the city? I suppose I shouldn't resent the time I spend with my family, I just wish that I could have...

Anyway, my eyes go to my bags, and I contemplate Haruhi's instructions ... but I somehow think that I shouldn't risk taking that with me when I have the responsibility of watching over my cousins. It's only then that I belatedly realize - I didn't remember a trace of a dream, again.

* * *

><p>Rounding up my cousins, all of them dressed (in my mind) for weather much warmer than it is, I lead the force of them up the path along the river to the dam. I recall some mention of political issues, now long-buried in the village's past, that almost prevented its creation. In fact, somewhere beneath the lake on the other side of that retaining structure lie the frames and empty houses of other village residents before their relocation.<p>

Of course, even when I've gone to that body of water and gazed deep into it, it's always been far too murky to make out any hints of that place. It's as mythical, and as far out of my reach, as Atlantis.

We stop on the bank of the river below the dam's outflow. There's a flat area that probably was used for staging equipment during construction a log time ago. Now it's mostly overgrown, so my little sister manages to help me convince the unruly twins (both pair) to set out the picnic blankets. Thankfully, it's mostly grass and a few shrubs, so we don't have to fight the greenery that much to prepare.

The cousins, of course, like to pretend it's much more severe, and we're a group of bold adventurers forging into the unknown depths of a primeval forest. I can't help but think that Haruhi might be pleased by that thought.

For an 'untouched wilderness,' there's one significant structure, which the children quickly dub 'the evil fortress'. The unattended dam doesn't quite loom, but is still several meters tall, aged concrete with rust stains marring its surface regularly. Perhaps implying a gate or other entrance, there's an even rustier metal grate, centered like gritted teeth at the bottom, frothing with the river's outflow.

Once the blankets and bento are all set out, there's no real free time for me to relax. Observing my 'troops,' I need to keep an eye on Shutaro especially - if he toddles too close to the river, that could be trouble. Certainly, I don't want any of the cousins trying to break into the 'fortress' through that grate in the river.

I should probably be pleased that the collective parents find me responsible enough to watch over my cousins. Instead, I feel like Heracles once more, completing his first set of Labors by defeating the hill, only to be assigned another after his arduous quest.

"Shutaro," I announce, before he can wander off, "you're going to be second-in-command."

"'kay," he replies, nodding eagerly at the other cousins, all of which are older than him. "I'm a boss!" he adds, attaching himself to my side with a grim, solemn nod.

"That's right," I agree, as his older sister puffs her cheeks out angrily. "Matsuri," I tell her, before she can throw a fit, "help Shutaro and me pass out the bento."

"Okay, Kyon-nii-sama!" she chirps, instantly reversing mood. "But call me 'Matsu-chan'!"

"Icky," her younger brother counters, the pair of them working together as assigned despite that. The Houjou and Sonozaki twins line up obediently, Yurie and Eiko on either side of an uncomfortable-looking Naota, my little sister just behind them.

"Lunch!" Azusa demands, holding her hands out expectantly. Matsuri picks up a bento and hands it to the small blonde, and she steps away, her sister immediately taking her place. Shutaro manages to hand the next bento over to Yoko, and the pair obediently takes turns under my supervision.

Matsuri hands a bento over to the green-haired Makoto, who sniffs pointedly at her brother. Shutaro's dusty mop of purple hair shakes as he hands Naota a bento, reprimanding once more, "Icky."

Naota looks glum, unable to escape the watchful eyes of Eiko and Yurie as they go through the line next - another blonde and a brunette respectively. I shouldn't reduce my cousins so, but when there are so many of them...

After that, I hand my sister her bento myself, and we all sit in a circle, so I can keep an eye on everyone. I pass on the games they want to play, more from a legitimate sense of concern - hide and seek this close to the river? - than any other reason. I'm so intent on watching them I don't notice the incoming cloud cover until it's almost upon us.

I can blame at least some of that on the steep walls of the valley, hiding much of the sky. This is, after all, the natural place to build the dam, but the weather cuts our expedition short. As I'm rounding them all up to pack up the remains of our picnic and retreat back to the Sonozaki house, Matsuri falls and skins her knee on a rock hidden in the tall grasses on our retreat.

Splitting up the now empty bentos among the other cousins, I let her climb onto my back, and we all march back, getting to the house just ahead of an unexpected downpour. The assembled parents are already waiting outside, on the verge of coming after us, and then for a little while, I'm overwhelmed by uncles pounding me on the back and telling me that I'm growing up just fine-

And my aunts' comments that some day I'll make some woman a good husband.

Where do they come up with that?

Still- The cousins are confined indoors because of the rain, Matsuri grumbling over her mother tending her injury instead of me. Not that I was unwilling to help, but Aunt Rika is more experienced in such matters. She's not a doctor or a nurse, but her role as the village's much-beloved shrine maiden has given her a practical knowledge of how to handle all the small cuts and bruises that children might get - as I recall myself.

Let's not go into her strange habit of speaking out sound-effects to describe things when she gets excited, and what it has to do with my nickname.

After that, once the cousins settle down a bit, there's ... really not much to do. Aunt Mion doesn't have a free computer - Uncle Keiichi does, but he uses it for his job as a lawyer, and there's no broadband internet anyway. Amazingly enough, he does it all on dial-up.

Once the cousins are distracted with some anime I don't recognize in the other room, attended by Aunt Satoko and her husband, I settle down and break open the textbook-sized hardcover.

I can't help but wince at the size of the thing - except for the title, it'd fit in a stack of my school books unnoticed. As tired as I am, I manage to get through the first chapter, though I only bother with the first page of the introduction.

From there, it mostly matches my expectations. In order to start out, I need to work on remembering my dreams, just like I thought.

I doubt this is something most normal people are capable of. Of course, Haruhi expects me to pull it off somehow. I wonder how severe my penalty will be if I can't do it?

Then again, given what happened last summer ... this assignment, I will not put off until the final day of vacation. Thanks to having to bring my other school supplies I grab an empty notebook to use as a dream journal and set it by my futon before going to bed. If I do remember anything, well...

* * *

><p>When I wake up, the fragmentary dream bits are already slipping from my mind- but I grab my journal and jot down what I can remember, anyway. The only part I can recall with any real clarity is a re-enactment of the hike to the picnic site, except that the journey was also the same annoying hill I walk every day to school.<p>

That says something about me, I suppose.

When I climb to my feet and open the window, I see it's still raining outside. Not quite as heavy, but it's coming down pretty steadily.

Shaking my head, I listen to the sounds of the other cousins in the distant reaches of Aunt Mion's home- It's huge, but still nothing compared to Tsuruya-san's house. The thump of approaching steps warns me of an imminent attack, so I brace myself.

A heartbeat after that, Matsuri flings the door open and charges at me, trying to tackle me even as her mother chases her, calling, "Matsu-chan! You have to take your raincoat off first!"

Then, of course, I've got a dripping child clamped onto my leg. "Kyon-nii-sama!" she cheers. "Let's take a bath!"

Perhaps in response to my horrified facial expression, Aunt Rika clicks her tongue and with a single expert motion - I have no idea how she does this - Matsuri is separated from me and propelled down the hall. "You'll take a bath with Nono-chan and the others," she chastises, somewhat sternly. "Honestly! And when you're done, you're mopping up the mess you made!"

"I want to be with Kyon-nii-sama!" Matsuri whines in futile protest, vanishing toward the bath with her mother.

Meanwhile, one leg of my pajamas is now soaked, and evidently the bath is occupied by the girls.

Once Matsuri is shuffled away, Aunt Mion walks down the hall and - looking amused at my plight - tells me I can use the shower in the master bedroom. I take what mercy I can find. By the time that and breakfast are squared away, I'm surprised to realize I'd have completely forgotten my dream if I hadn't written something down.

* * *

><p>Sitting inside the house, cooped up because of the rain, I claim a small chair in the family room and press on with my assignment.<p>

"Whatcha readin', Kyon-nii-sama?" Matsuri asks, breaking into my boring trudge through chapter two - more about controlling dreams than remembering them.

"Just an assignment," I answer with a shrug. For all that I'm doing it, I'm not about to advertise to my family what I'm undertaking. I'm sure at best I'd get a few chuckles. At worst, I'd get a lot of chuckles, and another story equal to that of the one concerning my nickname. My cousins probably can't read the more complex kanji of the title anyway, so I should be safe.

She pouts, putting her hands on my arm and trying to tug me away from my seat. I had intentionally chosen a chair small enough that she couldn't squeeze in next to me. "Let's sit at the kotatsu!" she demands. The other cousins are caught up in a board game, along with Uncle Keiichi. It's a big table, but it'll still be crowded with nine children, myself, and my uncle.

I can't say I find the stuff _that_ interesting to read, but it is somehow strangely compelling. Still, it'll make a nice change of pace from just reading; my head feels like it's about to explode. Kind of the way I feel when Haruhi drills instructions or important facts into my head during study sessions, actually.

"Is this game almost over?" I ask.

"Eiko-chan or Yurie-chan are going to win in a few rounds, probably," Uncle Keiichi agrees, while my sister stares intently at her cards.

I rise from the chair, trying to ignore Matsuri- But of course, Aunt Rika, as though able to sense Matsuri's behavior through walls, appears carrying a large plastic bag, a few drops of moisture on it betraying that she'd been outside somewhere.

"Matsu-chan," she warns, clicking her tongue as Eiko and Yurie begin playing cards against one-another rapid-fire, competing to win like Olympic-level board-game athletes. The only people who can play more viciously than them are their mothers.

My little sister ekes out second place, sneaking around Yurie's final maneuver, as Aunt Rika sets the bag down and clears her throat. Once she's got everyone's attention, she suggests, "Why don't we make some teruterubouzu, and try and send away the rain - saaa, saaa? I grabbed some extra cotton from the shrine~!"

This seems as agreeable an activity as any - I take Uncle Keiichi's place as he goes to check his e-mail, and help hand out strings, scraps of white cotton fabric, and balls of loose cotton. Aunt Rika takes the place next to me, with Matsuri restrained to her far side.

I expect that if Nagato can't do it without side-effects, Hinamizawa's kami aren't about to change the weather, either. Despite that, I show Shutaro how to stuff and bundle the cloth, then help him tie the string off on his little 'shine shine monk.'

"Why's it called that?" he asks, while the other cousins labor away at their own.

"You remember, right, Kyon-kun?" Aunt Rika prompts, helping Eiko with her project.

"Well, there was a story about a monk who promised to make the rain go away," I agree, "though, that story started long after they'd come into use. Really, they call it 'bouzu', because when you wrap the cloth around the ball of cotton," I demonstrate, crafting one as he watches, "it's round, like the bald head of a monk."

"And 'teruteru' because we want the sun to shine again!" Shutaro realizes.

"That's right," I agree, while Matsuri pouts at not being closer to me. "Now, we hang them out where they can see the rain, and it's a prayer for the rain to stop tomorrow."

"And if the rain goes away," Eiko adds knowingly, "then we put eyes and smiles on them!"

"But if they're hung upside down, then it's a prayer for more rain," Yurie contributes, nodding.

"Exactly," Aunt Rika completes, beaming the cousins a smile. "Now, Matsu-chan, if you finish making yours, maybe you can ask Kyon-kun to lift you up to hang it up outside, hmm?"

That's enough to send the purple-haired girl into a teruterubouzu-crafting frenzy.

* * *

><p>After a relatively uneventful evening, I wake up and blearily turn straight to my newly-created dream journal, jotting down what I can recall of the last night's dream. Should I have more than one?<p>

I only recall the one, getting most of the details down on paper before it slips away - Koizumi taking me aside on a tediously long bus-ride to tell me that he turned into a teruterubouzu.

Admittedly, the image of Koizumi, unchanged except for his completely bald head and a puffy white shirt very like the skirt of a teruterubouzu is somewhat hilarious. Though ... what exactly prompts dreaming about him?

For no particular reason, I attempt one of the exercises I recall reading in the book - closing my mouth and trying to breathe through it anyway. I can't, which tells me I'm awake ... even though I was fairly certain of that already. As I step into the hall, I see my little sister already dashing toward Makoto's room, and Aunt Mion watching her while slowly shaking her head.

When she spots me, the woman smiles, suggesting, "Why don't you gather up your laundry after you take a bath? It seems that there may be a break in the rain; hopefully we can put some things up to dry when that happens."

I personally doubt the cold mountain air is good for 'drying' anything, but am looped into a seemingly innocuous chain of chores almost immediately after emerging from the bath. Judging by my mother's self-satisfied look, this was her suggestion, and not Aunt Mion's.

It's not the worst way to spend the day, and the tasks are less grueling then those that Haruhi would assign me... My cousins and little sister take to giggling about something right at the edges of my hearing, but I focus on the chores assigned to me, even when the last is the most unpleasant-

Marching down to Aunt Rena's house in the rain to chop some wood beneath the awning attached to her woodshed.

I try and complain about it, but Aunt Rika, as though sensing my irritation before I can voice it, just _happens_ to muse, in her 'wise shrine-maiden' way: "When a young man came to the monastery and joined, he asked an elder monk:

"'How do I achieve enlightenment?'

"The elder monk replied, 'Before achieving enlightenment: cut wood, carry water.'

"'And after?' the initiate asked.

"The elder monk replied in the same voice, 'After achieving enlightenment: cut wood, carry water.'"

My blank stare speaks volumes, so the woman clicks her tongue and clarifies, "Mindfulness in all things, Kyon-kun!"

I can't even begin to guess what that's supposed to mean. I suppose I'll have plenty of time to think about it, though.

"Mindfulness in all things," Aunt Rika reiterates. "When you get to Rena-chan's, after she and Yurie-chan have made you tea, be sure to ask for her for a real axe - not that billhook she's always trying to use. That makes it easier to chop - choki, choki!" she concludes, making a 'chopping' sound, either in excitement or to be cute.

Of course...

* * *

><p>I'm still mulling over the point of Aunt Rika's thought exercise just as I'm finishing the physical one. Even in the cold, once I'm beneath the awning outside Aunt Rena's woodshed, I end up stripping down to my undershirt from the effort. A proper axe is pretty heavy, but I am without a doubt cutting wood.<p>

I suppose with the moisture in my clothes, I'm already carrying water without fetching buckets of it from the river. I'll have to sadly file my experience in my 'pre-enlightenment' phase, though. I do at least manage to work my reality-check - breathing in through my mouth when it's closed - into a bit more regular habit, assisted by the repetition of the work and Aunt Rika's story.

It may not be enough to satisfy a master yogi, but for myself, it's adequate.

Once I finish stacking the cut wood and stumble to Aunt Rena's house to inform her, she insists that I take a relaxing soak in the bath - safely away from Matsuri's antics. No complaints on my part, and afterwards, a very enjoyable lunch.

The only real downside after that is escorting cousin Yurie to the Sonozaki house afterwards, as Aunt Rena and her husband are meeting my parents for a partners game of mahjong at a tournament in Okinomiya, the next town over. The little brown-haired girl, looking like a cross between my younger sister and ... a girl I knew in middle-school, is as inquisitive as her mother - the other cousins call her 'great detective' because of her intuition.

She spots one of my reality-checks on the way back to the house and gives me a curious, thoughtful look, but says nothing. That kid is _sharp_. Maybe I should introduce her to that kid Haruhi tutors? Or maybe I should check with Asahina-san and find out if that's what's supposed to happen.

Where did she get so sharp, anyway? I suppose it's something she must have learned from her mother, but she's eagerly willing to help me against the rest of the assembled cousins when we get to Aunt Mion's and find they've decided to hide _all_ of my textbooks to make me play with them.

"Really?" I can't help but wonder, looking at Matsuri's smug expression.

"Play with us, Kyon-nii-sama!" Matsuri demands, echoed immediately by my younger sister, and then the Houjou twins. There really is no escape, is there?

"Cousin Kyon-kun's books are all hidden!" Eiko declares proudly, crossing her arms over her chest and bobbing her short, golden hair with each nod of her head. "And his phone, too!"

"It's them against us," Yurie deduces almost instantly, causing Matsuri to squeal in indignation at realizing she's set herself against me. "Now, are they hidden somewhere they won't get damaged, I wonder, I wonder?"

"They'd better be," Aunt Rika calls from the next room. "Unless a certain shrine-maiden-in-training wants a spanking!"

Matsuri pouts deeply, before Naota contributes, "They're all hidden in safe places - but no calling your phone to find it! That's cheating!"

Not that it would work with this reception anyway...

Well, it is me versus a group of children, but Yurie knows them well enough that her help makes a substantial difference. Thanks to the brown-haired child prodigy, reminding me more and more of certain older girls with hair the same color through her insight, I only spend a few hours looking for my books and phone. Nothing as dismal as spending my entire vacation looking for them - like happened _last_ year.

Certainly, it keeps me busy. Once I retrieve my books - naturally, the one Haruhi gave me being the last to be found - I put them back away, pausing to turn my phone off and hide it at the very bottom of my bags. I could deal with the books being gone, mostly, but losing that phone would be terrible; I have some very important files saved there.

I checked to make sure they hadn't been tampered with before Matsuri hid it (of all places) inside a pair of Makoto's folded socks. After browsing through a few less interesting pictures, I flip to one of Haruhi - completely by coincidence. How many days has it been since I've seen her, anyway?

Thinking about that ... I resolve to actually try harder at this lucid dream thing. As improbable as it seems, I _am_ making progress, aren't I? Maybe even a normal human like me really can pull this off.

* * *

><p>I'm not sure how I got there, and everything feels a bit fuzzy, but I realize I'm standing in the hall of Aunt Mion's home- only, now it's even larger. Through the Western-style bay windows I don't recall Aunt Mion having, I can see the rocky shore of the island, waves crashing against the snow-capped stones covering the beach.<p>

Koizumi remarks, "I do hope that Suzumiya-san finds the search for your textbooks interesting. Really, it's the best I could come up with on such short notice."

Blinking, I turn to regard him, realizing he's standing in the hall next to me, wearing a yukata - just like I am. It takes a moment for me to realize what's happening, and I press my lips together and inhale.

And breathe anyway.

I blink again, staring at my hands in fascination. I'm still me, human and all. Koizumi continues on his discussion as my cousins stream past in a giggling, indistinct blur, my little sister shifting into Yurie, and then Makoto, and then...

So, this is a dream?

Being aware of it being a dream while I'm in it - I'm so stunned by my success that I exclaim, "I did it!" just like an ancient Grecian philosopher leaping naked from his bath in realization.

I'm as humiliated as I suspect he should have been to then almost immediately find myself tangled in my bedding, feeling an odd sense of almost complete disorientation, my limbs feeling out of place from where I think they should have been. By the time I manage to get things sorted out and fumble my way to a sitting position, I see Aunt Mion peering around the door frame in consternation.

"Did what?" she asks, cocking her head to one side, offering a curious smile.

"I- I was having a dream," I offer, my mind shifting at the sudden realization that this - everything around me - is significantly more detailed than my dreaming mind devised. My aunt's eyebrows rise as I press my lips together and try and breathe again.

Not a dream.

"A good one?" she asks.

"Too short," I answer, fumbling for the dream journal I've decided to hide from my cousins beneath one of the tatami mats of the guest bedroom. I can't help but be vastly annoyed that as soon as I started to get a grasp of the exercise, I immediately screwed it up.

If Haruhi asks for a report, I think officially that won't have happened. Keeping that and Aunt Rika's admonition in mind, I try and reinforce the habit of reality-checking periodically.

* * *

><p>Since it feels like I'm making far more progress than originally anticipated, I let myself relax a bit during the day - the teruterubouzu haven't worked yet, despite Matsuri insistently leading another round of crafting them. I suspect that was more to try and get me to lift the cousins up high enough to hang them than any real care for the rain on her part, though. For the other cousins, Naota and Shutaro are beginning to get mopey about the lack of opportunity to play 'zombie tag' or have a 'life-or-death' squirt-gun battle.<p>

Instead, I spend a few hours appeasing them by losing at card games, board games, and then experience mild humiliation when I recycle the plot of Koizumi's winter mystery. I deliver it as a script instead of bothering to act it out, since the situation is less than ideal; my sister provides a trove of interesting, but irrelevant details.

Together, Eiko and Yurie crack that case almost as quickly as Haruhi and Tsuruya-san, though my little sister is still as lost as I felt back then.

I excuse myself to take a break, wandering into the kitchen.

Today is Wednesday, which means the vacation is about half over. Not that I haven't enjoyed it, but...

The phone rings abruptly, jarring me from my thoughts; usually the calls are to Uncle Keiichi's private line, in his office. "I'll get it~!" my sister chirps, her small feet pounding down the hallway before she snatches the phone up. "Hello?" I hear her ask. "Oh! Nee-chan!"

Wait, really? Well- I suppose at this point, the bigger surprise is that Haruhi hasn't called to demand a progress report earlier.

I pad out of the kitchen, pausing to set a dish of Aunt Mion's cookies on the table. Like circling piranha, the cousins will reduce it to a bare plate by the time I return, I'm sure. As I round the corner to the hall with the phone, my sister shouts, "Kyon-kun, phone!"

"I heard," I tell her, tousling her hair, unable to keep a slight smile from my face as I hold a hand out for the phone.

"It's a girl," she adds unnecessarily, as Matsuri materializes at my side with a look of dismay, her face covered with cookie-crumbs.

Aunt Rika sweeps her away before she can do more than squeak out an irate, "Kyon-nii-sama-"

My little sister, giggling, runs after her cousin the second she hands the phone over to me.

Wondering what Haruhi's doing - how the Brigade's trips have been going - I can't help but smile as I greet her with a cautious, "Hello?"

"Hello," a calm, quiet, and decidedly non-Haruhi voice returns.

"Ah," I manage, frowning, a little off-balanced by this. "Er- Nagato, it's good to hear from you. Is everything alright?"

"A space that waking humans cannot access is being created that spans the distance between your current location and that of Suzumiya Haruhi," she tells me quietly.

I freeze in alarm, feeling my heart quicken in my chest. "Excuse me?" I ask, more calmly than I feel.

"This space is not well understood, but is not anticipated to be dangerous."

For the first time in a long while, I wish Koizumi were around to translate for me.

"This- You're saying that it's harmless?" I press.

"Yes," she agrees.

There's nothing but silence across the line for a long while, before I remember that this is long distance ... if that actually bothers Nagato. "Um," I start, shaking my head, "so ... she's, what, trying to somehow bridge the distance between us?"

"This is the current hypothesis," Nagato agrees.

"And it's not dangerous?"

"I will protect you," she says, as quietly as she did when I asked what would happen if another interface were to attack me.

I ... suppose that's reassuring, then. It's strange, and if Nagato can't figure it out, then I've got no hope of understanding what she's really doing- But then, it's not like Haruhi really did anything on _purpose_ here, is it?

"Okay," I allow, shaking my head. "Um, thanks for letting me know about that, Nagato." There's another pause before I think to ask, "So, how have you been?"

"I am fine," she returns, the tiniest hint of ... is that amusement? Cheer? There's _something_ in her voice, though. Then, uncharacteristically, she says, "Take care," and disconnects.

"Who is she?" Matsuri explodes, evidently having broken free from Aunt Rika's restraining grip and rushing back in the hall to try and aim the progenitor of all unhappy childish pouts at me.

I sigh and shake my head as Aunt Rika returns and chides, "Matsu-chan, let Kyon-kun talk to his girlfriend in peace."

"Icky!" Shutaro shouts in counterpoint from the family room.

The little girl's face turns red and she scowls at me as I hang up the phone. "Kyon-nii-sama is cruel! How could you?" She tries to turn and run away in tears, but her mother catches her with a weary sigh before she can flee.

"That's quite enough of that," Aunt Rika says flatly. "A time-out for you, young lady, until you can behave properly!"

"It... It wasn't a girlfriend," I mumble halfheartedly, though neither of them are listening to me by that point.

* * *

><p>When I find myself in the clubroom after reading more of that book - remembering the passages on 'how to avoid breaking yourself out of the dream' - I handle it a little better. For one thing, every time I blink, the information on the page seems to change. Keeping in mind what I'd learned, I try and be calm and relaxed about it. The clubroom seems right, if empty except for myself.<p>

Time for a reality-check: I close my mouth and breathe in.

It's a dream, alright.

Instead of pushing too hard right away, I think about what I want to appear - something simple to start. When bring my focus down to the table from the ceiling, there's a steaming cup of tea before me, as though freshly made and placed there by Asahina-san herself. The book has vanished, somewhere, not that it was making much sense in the dream, anyway.

...though, thinking of Asahina-san, and this being a dream, I can't help but wonder if maybe I can- That thought is interrupted with the door being kicked open energetically.

I can actually feel some part of my subconscious reacting, and barely cling to the dream as I slowly turn to look at the intruder.

Wearing an unbuttoned long black coat, a powder-blue skirt, and a yellow top, Haruhi grins at me, holding up one white-gloved hand, clenching it into a fist. "Another one, eh?" she muses, staring at me.

I can swear to you now - this is not something my conscious mind pulled up. I cannot vouch for my traitorous subconscious, here, but this was not my intent.

I blink again, taking in the crimson armband reading, 'Legendary Dreamer,' in stark black kanji.

"I'm tired of these fakes," she declares, lowering her fist and pointing two fingers at me, before suddenly snapping them. I feel my clothing shift as she demands, "Dance for me, cheerleader!"

I've not worn a skirt before, and I don't ever intend to in the waking world, but quite abruptly, I'm wearing a male-sized version of the same outfit I last saw on Haruhi and Asahina-san at the baseball game.

A bit annoyed at my subconscious for drawing up such a being, I flatly return, "No," and make the same gesture back at her, concentrating and looking away for a moment. When I snap my fingers and look back, Haruhi's jaw has dropped wide, and she's staring at the maid outfit she's now wearing in shock. The same one Asahina-san wears, though it occurs to me a moment later I could have gone for something more exotic.

"You promised you'd wear that once, and never have. Now, some tea wouldn't be amiss," I reprimand gently, unable to keep a smile off my face at the image of Haruhi in that outfit. I'd never tell her, but she's actually almost even cute like that.

She looks up at me sharply. "Wait," she says, shaking her head quickly, passing her right hand over her left upper arm, incidentally leaving another copy of her 'Legendary Dreamer' armband in that hand's wake. "You're- You're the _real_ Kyon, not another dream Kyon?" Her face lights up in a brilliant smile, her eyes wide. "You must be! And the maid fetish proves it!"

Shaking her head abruptly, she casts about the room, her grin diminishing slightly. "I did expect a bit more, but I guess this is alright to start," she allows.

...wait. Could it be that ... the space Nagato mentioned that waking humans couldn't enter...

Did Haruhi decide that she was going to be the girl of my dreams? _Literally_?

"This is the most detailed version of this room I've seen since I've started," she says in an admiring voice, ignoring me and going to the costume rack, where a duplicate of the maid costume she's still wearing hangs.

She did! She really did!

Oh, brother- Talk about never being able to get out from underneath your Brigade Chief's thumb, even in your dreams!


	3. Traveling to Ulthar

In Your Dreams

Chapter Three: Traveling to Ulthar

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness. As a note, to those keeping score the events here will start to slowly diverge from real-world lucid dreaming, although most of what's portrayed here is still true to the real thing. Hopefully it'll be a fun ride either way!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hinamizawa Dam<strong>_

_..._  
><em><strong>Construction and History<strong>_

_Hinamizawa Dam was completed in 1981, following several years of protests by local residents concerned about the destruction of their homes by the lake that would be formed to power the hydroelectric dam. The initial construction project was halted in 1979, following the death of the project foreman and the disappearance of one of the men allegedly involved with his murder. Some residents associated the deaths with the local legends of the demon god Oyashiro, which intensified the protests._

_Following the deaths, the dam design was complemented with a series of levees intended to prevent the dam's waters from submerging most of the villages that would have been destroyed by the original design. With these modifications in place, the protests from the villagers were largely silenced, and construction of the dam resumed._

* * *

><p>I rub my eyes a bit, closing the laptop and settling back in my chair - it's getting pretty late. There hasn't been much going on since Kyon left for Hinamizawa yesterday; I ended up heading over to the station to see him off, but I didn't think about the fact that his entire family would be there - and it looked like they were having enough trouble trying to manage his little sister and all their luggage. Rather than barge into the middle of all that, I just waited and watched until their train left the station. I'm not sure, but I think Kyon's little sister might have seen me; I know Kyon didn't, though. If she did, she didn't say anything to Kyon or her parents about it as far as I could tell.<p>

Doesn't really matter anyway, I guess; I've mostly been killing time for now. We're not going to start our tours of the nearby castles and temples until tomorrow, with Himeji Castle, so I've mostly been kicking around the house looking for something to do. I've gone through the lucid dreaming book already, and aside from doing my 'reality checks' every few hours, I don't really have anything I _need_ to do today. It still seems a bit weird to be looking at my hands and flexing my fingers for no apparent reason, but if it's supposed to help, I'll do it.

So without anything better to do, I decided to read up on this Hinamizawa place. Kyon wasn't kidding when he said the village was out in the middle of nowhere; the closest major city looks like it's Aomori, and just the train trip out _that_ far is something like six hours at least. The big hydroelectric dam seems to be the only major thing anywhere near the village itself, but reading up on it did at least turn up a few links to some pretty wild local legends - a demon god that punishes sins by killing the villagers, and an old human sacrifice ritual that they still perform (in a way) today?

Definitely something to grill Kyon about when he gets back! If he's got family up there, he's sure to know more about those legends than just the simple stuff I was able to find online.

As far as the dreaming stuff goes, I've made a little bit of progress, but not much. I'd only gotten through the first couple of chapters by Friday night, so I didn't get to try much out at that point; I don't even remember anything about my dreams from that night. Yesterday I at least remembered part of my dream, but only a few fragments of it - I was walking around on the ceiling while everyone else was on the ground, but past that I can't remember any details. I think I'll have better luck tonight, though - I finished up the rest of the book earlier today and I've been doing those reality checks all day, so I should be ready.

* * *

><p>The first indication I have that things aren't completely normal is the silence. I'm used to tuning out all the noise of people around me to concentrate on what I've got on my mind, but in this case there's absolutely nothing to ignore: no voices, no footsteps, not even birds or insects. Other than that, things seem fairly normal. I'm at the shopping arcade near Kitaguchi Station, and everything looks like what I remember aside from the deathly quiet and the blank gray sky. It's not quite like an overcast sky, since there's no sign of any clouds, but just a blank featureless gray expanse.<p>

It's strange enough that I decide to do my 'reality check' and look at my hands while I flex my fingers - and what my hands are doing isn't anything like what I think I'm doing with them, the fingers kind of waving back and forth randomly. It honestly looks bizarre - almost so much so that I yell - but I remember that the book said it would look this way. I don't spend long looking - it's weird and unsettling as it is, and if I've already confirmed that I'm dreaming I don't need to look again.

Now that I recognize it as a dream, though, I take stock of where I am a little more closely. It's definitely the shopping district downtown, but when I stop to examine things a lot of the details just aren't there - the signs are blurry, and some of the things on display in shop windows are indistinct blobs; when I think about it, most of those shops are places I've never been or paid attention to before, so it kind of makes sense that I wouldn't be able to get any details right about them in my dreams.

That aside... this place seems really dull. There are no people, no noises, not even the air moving - at least, there's nothing moving until I spot a few points of red light crossing the sky. Maybe they're airplanes? But then, why would those be moving when I'm not seeing any people, or bicycles or cars or trains or any other kinds of vehicles? Just as I've made up my mind to take a closer look, though, they seem to vanish into the horizon - and I'm not so interested that I want to spend the entire time running around this gray world trying to find them again.

The longer I spend here, the more I feel like this place is _waiting_ for something, basically. It's hard to describe, but the impression I get is that this is like a blank canvas, waiting to be painted over with something more interesting. I consider trying to change it, but then I figure I'd better get an idea of what I'm working with first, before I try to alter it.

I let my mind wander, literally; I get the impression I could make myself fly in this place, but I decide to try something different - leaving my body where it is and sending my perceptions out to explore, sort of an out-of-body experience. It's sort of like what you see in the movies, where the camera just zooms out and pans across the landscape - it doesn't really feel like I'm flying, just that my view is changing. As I come to the edge of Nishinomiya, though, the world just seems to stop; it's like there's a border between the gray space I'm in and what's outside of it. Just as an experiment, I try moving it - and sure enough, I can feel the space getting larger as I push at it. I decide not to go crazy with it for now; with most of Nishinomiya already in here, I've got plenty of room to play around in.

Once I let my awareness return to my body, I decide to try a few things out, just to see what I can do. Flying is the obvious thing - the book mentioned it as one of the most common things to do in a lucid dream - but I sort of just did that, and I'm more interested in seeing what else I can do. With as empty as this place is, there's one obvious thing to start with, and so I do it, closing my eyes to concentrate for a moment. When I open them, Kyon is standing in front of me with a completely neutral expression on his face, dressed in his usual school uniform. I can't help but smirk as I walk around him, checking out my own handiwork; 'Kyon' doesn't react to me at all, though, standing there more or less like a mannequin - although he isn't one, as he feels warm when I touch his face. A moment of concentration and I'm able to make him put on his usual sour look and cross his arms, although I have to specifically think about it to get him to move at all - it's sort of like controlling a marionette, only with my mind instead of strings.

My dreams are going to get pretty boring if they're always empty, though, so I try to create the other members of the Brigade too, to see if it's any harder to have more people around at once. They all show up easily enough - everyone in their school uniforms, since that's how I see them most of the time, I guess - but they're just as inert as the Kyon-doppelganger I made was at first. Controlling them in the same way I controlled Kyon isn't any harder, either. I make Mikuru do a backflip and Yuki stand on her head to see if I can do more complex stuff, but it seems like taking control of one of them makes all the others revert back to that same neutral state, like a puppet just hanging from its strings. It's becoming frustrating that I can't seem to do more than one thing at a time, so I try to make everyone do something different all at the same time - and abruptly find myself staring up into the darkness of my bedroom, my temples pulsing with the beginnings of a headache.

I grit my teeth against the pain - it's not a severe headache, but it is very insistent; as I get out of bed to go get some aspirin I decide that maybe trying to control people directly isn't such a good idea. On the bright side, though, I was definitely having a lucid dream, and managed to control a lot of things in it. It may not have been the most exciting thing in the world, but it's a good start at least!

* * *

><p>"All right, the guided tour starts in an hour! Koizumi-kun, Mikuru-chan, you two are a group; look for anything particularly unusual and report back here in 45 minutes!" I point at the two Brigade members in question, who just nod in reply. "We'll need to be prepared so we can dig for details on some of the less well-known things about the castle! I'll be doing the same with Yuki - so don't be late meeting back up!"<p>

We arrived at Himeji Castle about twenty minutes ago; it's not all that far from Nishinomiya - about an hour and a half by train - but despite that, I've never actually been out here before myself. It's definitely one of Japan's more well-known historic sites, and there's even a famous ghost story associated with it, but school trips generally go to Kyoto - there are more places to visit in a smaller area - and I haven't really been interested enough to come and investigate by myself before now. I'm definitely curious to see whether there's any truth to the story of Okiku, but not so much that I'm willing to sit through three hours of train travel and then another hour of guided tour just to see it - in the daylight, no less, when it's obvious that nothing supernatural would be happening!

Without any further ado, I head off towards the first of the gates that are scattered all around the courtyard of the castle itself, Yuki trailing along in my wake. I really don't have any idea what in particular to look for, but I'm trusting my instincts more than anything here; if there's something worth investigating, I'm sure it'll jump out at me - the only hard part is going to be remembering where it is, since there are so many gates and courtyards.

For her part, Yuki isn't saying much; she's simply waiting for me to take the lead. What follows is more or less aimless wandering, since I didn't really have a plan for where to go or what to look for. I keep trying to head for the castle proper - mostly to see if I can get to it, since Himeji is famous for getting people lost - but after tracking back and forth through a dozen different gates I'm starting to get a bit irritated.

"Damn it!" I stop for a minute to glare up at the castle, only taking a moment to glance back for Yuki to make sure she hasn't gotten lost - I haven't exactly been trying to pace myself, and she doesn't really look all that athletic so she might not have been able to keep up - but she's still there behind me, surprisingly. I shake my head a bit, then throw myself down on a bench nearby to get my bearings for a minute. The distance we've covered isn't all that far, but it's a lot of hiking uphill and winding back and forth. "How many of these stupid gates are we going to have to go through, anyway?"

"There are ten gates left to pass before reaching the keep," Yuki replies, barely on the edge of my hearing - which startles me a bit, I wasn't expecting an answer at all. "Only 21 of the castle's original 84 gates remain."

"Wait - how did you know that?" I eye her curiously.

I don't get an answer; Yuki just stares back at me with that same non-expression she usually wears. Whatever, it's probably not that important. We're wasting time, though - it's only taken about 5 minutes to get this far, but we're going to have to come back too, and I still want some time to look around the main castle building when we get there.

Another ten minutes or so sees us to the top of the hill and the main building - the keep. It's bigger than I would have expected for something several centuries old; I knew the site itself was really large - obviously, if it took us fifteen minutes just to walk up here from the entrance - but the keep itself looks like it's about five stories tall, and in pretty good shape, too. There's a part of the grounds up here that's roped off, with a few construction workers wandering around; I guess they're working on some restoration stuff. It does make me wonder; considering how long it would have taken to make something this big four hundred years ago, how long would it take to build this place using modern techniques?

"It is estimated at a factor of one hundred," breaks into my thoughts - Yuki again. I didn't even realize I was thinking out loud - I swear, half the time Kyon starts muttering something I'm sure he's doing the same thing, must be rubbing off on me.

The answer raises an eyebrow again, though - everyone said that this would be their first visit. "How do you know that? I thought you said you'd never been here before!"

The answer, when it comes, gives me the urge to facepalm - Yuki just holds up a travel guide for Himeji Castle, something I should not only have guessed but expected from our resident bookworm. I shake my head in reply, hiding a smile; it's nice to see people being predictable, even if I'm not paying enough attention to realize it.

"You know, I really should have expected that," I reply. "Sometimes you can be really predictable, you know?"

As expected, I don't really get a reply to that... and that's when it hits me just _how_ predictable Yuki can be sometimes. In any given situation, she's either going to read a book (about what's going on or something else entirely), look at me blankly, or come up with some one-word answer (or at least the minimum number of words possible, if one word won't cut it). Now that the idea's bouncing around my head, though, I'm somewhat curious about it - especially since it kind of applies to what I ran into with my dream last night. I can't control other people, but if I have a kind of mental map for them to follow, maybe that will work?

"Hey, Yuki," I start off, looking over at the light-haired girl. Her only response is to look me in the eyes, the vaguest hint of expectation - or maybe curiosity? - in her stare. Score one for the model so far.

"Have you ever really considered people being predictable?" When this continues to gain no reply, I decide to elaborate a little further. "Sort of, I don't know - like you can make a picture or a model in your head about people you know or interact with, and you can predict how they're going to react to something based on that model?"

She hesitates for a brief moment before answering, giving just a single nod in reply. Well, I _did_ just ask a yes or no question, it's not like I should have expected - _predicted_ - anything more.

"So what do you think of the idea? Do you think it really works - can you really use something like that to predict how people are going to react to things?"

Again the short hesitation, then a slight shake of the head - and then she surprises me by giving the question more of an answer. "To a point," she intones quietly. "For individuals that are simple or not well known, a basic model can predict behavior adequately. As knowledge of the person increases, however, the accuracy of predictions decreases."

I frown a bit. "Isn't that backwards? It should get easier to predict what other people do the better you know them!"

Again, the slight hesitation - seems a little odd for Yuki, I can't really imagine her being lost for words. "As with a mathematical model, as the number of variables in the system increases, the behavior of that system becomes more chaotic - slight changes in one or more of the variables can have significant impact on the outcome of the system as a whole. For a person, as more aspects of that person's personality become known, the more factors come into play in determining a reaction to a given situation."

"Why wouldn't the old simple model still work, then? If it was good enough before, it's not like the parts of that person that made it any less effective, right?"

She shakes her head. "Additional knowledge makes relying on the simpler model unsatisfactory, as it may obviously contradict results predicted by that model."

I open my mouth to argue with that, but I find I can't, really; it's not like you can just throw out things you know just because you don't like them. Well, you can _try_ it, but it's just stupid to do it, and likely to blow up in your face. "Okay, fair enough, but still - why wouldn't you just be able to get a more and more complete model of someone and it just gets more accurate? Sure, it might get really complex, but there's still no reason why you still couldn't keep up with it as it gets more complete. It's a lot less convenient, sure, but it should still be workable."

Again, Yuki disagrees with me. "As an isolated system this would be the case. However, as the system increases in complexity, more minor external influences can have major influences on the result of the model, as with most chaotic systems."

I stop to consider that for a moment, leaning up against one of the trees in the courtyard. "External influences? Like what - the weather?"

"There is some influence to behavior from environmental factors," Yuki allows, not moving from her spot even as I start to walk around and stretch a little. "However, the more significant source of external factors are actions from other individuals. These effect changes in the state of the person being modeled."

"Ahhhh, _now_ I get you. So, for example, if Kyon gets yelled at by his mom or something, he's going to be in a bad mood and might react to things differently because of it - so his mom made a change in the way he reacts to things at some level." I nod thoughtfully. "Even so, why couldn't you just watch him and see that he's in a bad mood and adjust from there?"

"Observation may not be sufficient to determine changes in the state of the subject, or of their degree of influence. Attempting prediction without a knowledge of these factors would result in errors - sometimes with radical deviations in the results."

Thinking of 'radical deviations'... well, there's one thing that immediately pops into my head at that, and while it's not a _fun_ memory, it's definitely one I've spent a lot of time thinking about. I find it a little hard to even mention; I've never really talked about it with anyone else.

"Like, for example, when we were making the movie," I start out hesitantly, looking away from Yuki. "When I got Mikuru-chan drunk at Tsuruya-san's house - I completely didn't expect Kyon to get that upset about it." I look up at the leaves of the tree above me, the words feeling like they're coming from someone else. "I knew he was upset - I was trying to push his buttons, so it's not like I didn't expect that - but I had no idea he was _that_ angry."

"That is... a valid example," Yuki replies, her voice seeming even quieter. "I also was not aware of the intensity of his distress until after the fact."

I snort at that, bringing my head level. "You and me both, Yuki-chan - you and me both." I let out a sharp sigh at that - I don't really want to dwell on this right now. "This really got heavy," I add with a half-laugh. "Not exactly the kind of thing I'd imagine us talking about outside Himeji Castle - or really, anywhere," I append. "Come on, we'd better head back - we're probably going to be late meeting up with Mikuru-chan and Koizumi as it is."

Yuki gives one of her small nods at that, and we set off the path back down the hill and through the gates around the keep; however, I can't help but wonder out loud as we walk: "I had no idea you were that interested in this kind of thing, Yuki-chan - it sounds like you've given a lot of thought to this."

"Yes," comes the quiet reply.

As we head through the first gate, I look at her sidelong, considering. Yuki's so quiet all the time, and she's always seemed a bit shy, but she's never really seemed oblivious - she just watches or reads and doesn't say much of anything. I decide to take a little shot in the dark, although it's not a hard one to make.

"Is it because you're shy? You try to figure out how people are going to react, so you'll know what they'll say or do when you try to do something?"

That gets me a slightly hesitant nod, which is confirmation enough. "That's what I thought - and all I'll say is, don't!" I can feel my energy surging back as I go on. "Just do things, and don't worry about what other people are going to think! If they're worth caring about, they'll either be interested, or they'll at least be polite, and you know more about them that way! And if they're rude or they laugh at you, then you know they're pointless and boring and you don't have to care what they think!"

That gets me a slightly raised eyebrow, but no verbal response.

"Okay, yeah, maybe you're not going to run around and put up talismans all over the school like I did when I was in middle school, but so what? Maybe your way of being amazing and interesting won't be as flashy or exciting as mine, but it doesn't mean you can't find something else!

"So maybe you're not an alien or an esper like I've been looking for, but that doesn't mean you can't be amazing in other ways! Even normal humans can be inventors or visionaries or geniuses and change the way the world works - that could be you, too!" It feels a little weird to be echoing something Kyon said to me, even if he was taking it in a totally different direction. "With all the thought you've put into this mental model thing, maybe you _can_ come up with a better picture of how the mind works - how we get from nerve cells firing off in our heads to the Mona Lisa or Beethoven's 5th Symphony. Or maybe since you like sci-fi books a lot, you could become a writer, and take those ideas and give them your own spin and then inspire other people to try to make the things you write become real!

"But you'll never know unless you actually get out there and _do_ things, and stop worrying about what other people are going to think about you for doing stuff." I nod sharply. "So get out there and try things out! If you're not sure what you're best at, or what you enjoy doing, start experimenting and see what you like - and then run with it! That's an order from your Brigade Chief!"

I'll admit, it's amazingly hard to read Yuki's expression most of the time, since it never changes much, but I think there's the faintest hint of a smile on her face as she nods in reply.

* * *

><p>While the conversation with Yuki was really interesting - and unexpected - it took more time than I realized. By the time we get back to the entrance where we were supposed to meet back up with Koizumi and Mikuru, we're already ten minutes behind - and neither one of them is there, either. This is just great - there's no <em>way<em> we're going to have time to meet up with the tour group before it starts.

I stop to think for a moment; if they made it back on time and decided to go looking for us, we would have run into them on the way back - I can't imagine they would have started looking right away, and the path didn't branch much until about halfway up the hill, so we would definitely have run into them near one of the first gates leading up to the keep. As far as looking for them goes, though, I don't remember which way they went when we split up, either.

"Do you have any idea where the others are?" I turn and ask the girl behind me.

Yuki pauses to consider for a minute, then points off to the side, towards a cluster of large, low buildings - they look like warehouses. Guess she was paying more attention when we parted ways - although if she hadn't we'd just be wandering blindly anyway.

The grounds here are confusing no matter where you're going; the path leading over towards the outbuildings winds back and forth almost as much as the trip up to the keep proper, although there are no gates here, just a stone-walled path with what look like arrow-slits in all kinds of geometric shapes. It's a fairly nice walk, but the route twists back on itself so often that I have a hard time keeping my bearings - the only thing that helps is keeping an eye on the sun, since that's one thing that'll always be in the same direction.

It takes us another five or ten minutes to work our way through the maze to the large buildings, and another five from there to actually find the other Brigade members, who seem to be having some kind of intense discussion. I motion Yuki to be quiet as we approach - not that it's really needed, I can rarely if ever hear her moving around anyway.

"-do what you want, I'm going to stay here," Mikuru is saying as I get close enough to hear.

Koizumi doesn't seem to like what she's saying, though; he's actually not smiling for once as he replies - he's half facing me, although he hasn't noticed yet since he's focused on Mikuru. "We are already late; are you telling me that you intend to make Suzumiya-san more upset by delaying even further?"

Mikuru shakes her head at that, but doesn't look at Koizumi. "I can't tell you what to do, but I have my instructions." Instructions? I didn't give her any instructions, other than looking for unusual things, so who else would have given her any instructions while she was here? "Besides, if she comes looking for us, isn't it more likely that we'll miss each other if we're wandering around randomly? We've already gotten lost once!"

She does have a point, at least if they got lost trying to get back to the main entrance. With as twisty and confusing as these paths are, we could probably wander around all day trying to find each other and never meet. At this point I don't see a lot of reason to eavesdrop any further, so I don't bother to conceal my footsteps as I move up to meet them.

Koizumi spots me first, although that's not really a surprise with Mikuru facing the other direction. "Ah, Suzumiya-san!" He straightens up rather quickly once he sees me, Mikuru turning to face me as well.

"You guys are _really_ late, you know," I start off, crossing my arms as I scowl at the pair.

Mikuru seems lost for words, her mouth working without anything intelligible coming out. Koizumi doesn't look too ruffled, though; aside from the slight surprise when he first saw me, he seems as smooth as ever. "Ah, my apologies, Suzumiya-san," he replies, glancing at Mikuru only briefly. "We had tried to make it earlier, but unfortunately got lost trying to get back to the main entrance. We found our way back here and were simply taking a minute to get our bearings before trying to find you."

"It's still a penalty for both of you!" I announce, stabbing a finger in their direction.

That at least gets Koizumi's smile to falter a bit, and Mikuru whimpers. "Of course," is his response.

I'm curious about what Mikuru was talking about, but we've got a tour to catch up with - I definitely want to look into this, but it'll have to wait for now!

* * *

><p>The end of the trip is a huge letdown. It takes us a lot longer than expected to catch up with the tour; since we didn't see it leave, no one is quite sure which direction they went to start with, although Yuki managed to guess pretty well - or maybe she had an idea from the travel guide she read; I'm not sure. We don't actually reach the tour group until they get to Okiku's Well itself, and the tour guide is just finishing up the story of how the servant girl Okiku's ghost can be heard counting dishes at night. I'm familiar with the story, so there's nothing really new there, but one thing I'd always wanted to do was try coming here at night to see if I could hear the ghost.<p>

That is, up until the tour guide mentions that there's a special late-night tour run once a week for just that reason. Ugh. If they're making a big deal about it already, there's almost certainly nothing real about it; I can't imagine that a ghost would come and show off for a bunch of tourists, so they probably just do something fake. Well, there's an old idea shot down.

With that taking the wind out of my sails, I don't bother having us wait for another tour of the grounds, and we just head back to Nishinomiya from there. I'll admit to being in a nasty mood, given that we missed most of the tour and the idea of checking out the well at night was kind of destroyed, but there's not much point in taking it out on the others - knowing them, they'd just sit there and take it, and it's not _entirely_ their fault - okay, yes, the fact that they were late was their fault, but I'll admit that the grounds were confusing so getting lost is a valid excuse. I almost managed to get lost myself, after all.

Without much else to do on the trip home, I think about that a bit more. Venting at Mikuru... well, I've done it before, and I'll admit it can be really cute the way she shivers and looks like she's waiting for me to turn into some kind of ogre and eat her. The problem with it is that seeing that actually makes me _feel_ like some terrible ogre, and gets me even more angry. Not a good feedback loop to get caught in.

With Yuki, I've never even really considered it. She doesn't react to much, and while I think she wouldn't completely ignore me if I was yelling at her, I also don't get the impression that it'd really impress her much, or at least in any way I'd be able to tell. It'd be like yelling at a wall.

Koizumi wouldn't be much better, either. He's always quick to agree with me, so trying to yell at him would probably involve him apologizing a ton, or trying to calm me down if I was yelling at someone else around him. He usually stays out of it when I'm irritated with Kyon, admittedly, but I could see him trying to play peacemaker really easily.

All of it just serves to remind me that Kyon's not here, which adds to my irritation. In _his_ case, at least, he pushes back when I carp at him - which usually leads to me yelling at him even more - but after all's said and done, I feel better for having gotten all of it out. He's never seemed to hold much of a grudge or gotten too upset about anything - with one notable exception, but I've been through that already.

Thinking of him... I wonder if maybe I should give him a call tonight to check up on his progress with the lucid dreaming. He's had as much time as I have to get started on things, and it'd give me an excuse to vent about today. It's a fun idea... but no, I probably shouldn't. He said he'd be stuck babysitting most of the time, and with that in mind he probably hasn't had a lot of time to work on dreaming - it's only been a couple of days, after all, and calling him just to talk... nah, I'll give him some more time and get a real status report later this week.

* * *

><p>The first impression I get once I can stop to think for a moment is that the colors here are <em>really<em> vivid. The grass isn't just green, it's practically glowing, and the water is turquoise - like the pictures you see of tropical beaches. I don't even need to try my reality checks to know that I'm dreaming; floating islands in the sky with mile-high waterfalls are kind of a heavy hint that I'm not in Kansai anymore - but I go through the motions anyway, just to be sure. All it takes is a short glance at my hands to confirm my suspicions, and then my focus turns back to the landscape around me.

I hate to be cliched, but the view is frankly breathtaking. It takes me all of about ten seconds to work out that I'm actually on one of the floating islands myself; I'm not terribly far from the edge, and down below I can see a vast mountain range, almost completely covered in snow. There are several other islands visible from here; the biggest one I can see must be a few miles across, and even has buildings on it - blue-roofed white turrets with arches, although I can't make out a lot more detail than that from this distance.

The island I'm on myself isn't too huge; there's a fairly steep hill in the center, and what looks like a stone staircase winding up the side of it. Up on the crown I can see a set of stone pillars - sort of Greek-looking - and some kind of glass ball floating in the middle of them, although I can't really make out more detail than that from here. It definitely looks amazing, and I start to head up the hill to check it out further... and then stop.

While this is an amazing place, and one I _definitely_ want to take more time to explore, it's also not the main thing I want to concentrate on right this minute - and that's finding Kyon. There's a stone bench next to the path here; I'm not quite sure whether it was here when I started walking or whether it just showed up now when I stopped to look, but either way I guess it doesn't really matter - it gives me a place to sit down and think about what I'm doing.

The fact that I'm in a lucid dream again is awesome; given the way the book made it sound, it usually takes a lot of practice before most people can start to have lucid dreams regularly. Fortunately, I've always had a knack for picking new stuff up quickly, so it's not really all that surprising all things considered. Kyon might not have picked things up as quickly, though, so if I try to find him now he might not even be here yet.

Even with that in mind there's no harm in looking; I could be underestimating him, and even if I'm not, I still need to work out exactly how I'm supposed to find him - so the more practice I get at manipulating my dreams to search for him, the better.

Now that I'm settled on my course of action, I take a minute to consider where I am. This is really obviously a dreamscape - and an awesome one, too - but I honestly can't see Kyon dreaming himself into a place like this, at least not regularly. He's not the most imaginative guy in the world, so more likely he'll be in someplace a lot more mundane. The next question, then, is: how do I get from someplace like this to someplace more normal?

Well, I'm in control of this place, or I should be, so the answer to that is 'however the hell I feel like it.' Since I'm actually thinking of a fairly radical change here, I try something that feels drastic. Closing my eyes, I stretch my left arm up as high as I can reach, then pinch my fingers and pull down and across - like I'm turning the page in a giant book.

When I open my eyes, it looks like my experiment was successful - there's no sign of the floating islands, or the pillars or staircase, or the snowy landscape down below. I'm still up high, but this time I'm up on top of a flat, rocky plateau, and looking out past the edge I can see what looks like a rainforest stretching out as far as the eye can see. Notably, this place has the same 'vivid' feel that the floating islands did; in a way, even though I know this is a dream, it feels more 'real' than reality does - everything's more intense in some way.

Still, this also isn't a place I'd expect to find Kyon either. It's more like someplace you'd really find on Earth - I mean, I've seen pictures of places in South America that kind of look like this - but it's still not an environment I could really picture Kyon wandering around in. Since it worked before, I reach out to turn the page - but this time I don't close my eyes; I want to see what's going to happen when I do it.

The effect is... weird, to put it mildly. I can't see what my fingers catch hold of, but the result is really obvious; when the 'page' turns, it's sort of like the rainforest is caught in a window, and someone's turning that window past me where the spine of the 'book' would be - the effect makes my head swim a bit. Once the edge of the window moves past my eyes, I can start to see the next 'scene' unfolding the same way, while the last remnants of the jungle dwindle down to a line and disappear.

And what a scene it is. Being in a city full of skyscrapers is hardly a new sensation for someone raised in Japan, but these buildings are like nothing I've seen before. Where a normal high-rise might be made out of metal and glass and concrete, these are considerably more exotic. The one I'm standing next to appears to be built out of black marble, with ruby windows; what's even weirder is that I just _know_ that the windows are really made of ruby, not just red glass. The building across the street is just as strange; a 30-story building made of popsicle sticks and clear gelatin is not exactly something to just take in stride. There are similar buildings as far as I can see in every direction, too; too many to count, honestly.

This place is pretty weird, but again it feels closer to a place I might find Kyon than where I was before. It's still too bizarre, so I try something a little more drastic this time. Rather than turning a page in a book, I decide to close the entire book itself so I can open a new one.

Lowering my hands to my sides, I hold my palms up, then start raising them in an arc like I'm closing a giant book - and just like before, the landscape shifts as I do, the buildings folding into each other like mismatched teeth. It's a little weird to see; even with as tall as the buildings are they don't break or collapse at all, just meshing into the gaps between other buildings to make a seamless wall of colored gems and stones. As the 'book' comes closer and closer to closing completely, the light becomes dimmer, until finally everything goes black with an earth-shattering 'crack'-

And I sit bolt upright in bed, my eyes snapping open to the dim illumination of the streetlight outside our house. A quick glance down at my hands atop the sheets confirms that I'm not dreaming anymore, but I wasn't expecting to be catapulted out of the dream like that - my heart is still racing a little at the sudden shift. I take a minute to get some water while I settle down from the surprise. On the plus side? More lucid dreaming, and more successful experimentation, but on the down side it's proving that I'm still shooting in the dark as far as what I'm doing in the dream, too.

I drain my glass, then stare pensively into the bathroom mirror as I consider what just happened. I can make sweeping changes to the dream, obviously, but the more severe the alteration, the harder it is to hold onto the dream while I'm doing it.

All in all, it's good progress; I didn't get much in the way of actual searching for Kyon done, but I've got a better idea of how to go about doing it when I try it.

* * *

><p>The next day almost isn't worth talking about. After Himeji Castle ended up being such a letdown, I wasn't expecting any better from visiting Kyoto, either - if only because I've been a half dozen times in the past few years between school trips and family vacations. The castles and temples aren't bad, admittedly, but I've been through the tours so many times <em>I<em> could probably give the speeches.

True to form, I'm not really surprised by the way it turns out, either. We end up going to Nijo Castle first of all, and I end up tuning out most of the trip. The others seem at least somewhat interested; this is the first visit for both Koizumi and Mikuru, and Yuki at least pays attention - although it's always hard to tell whether she's actually interested or bored. I'm half tempted to cross the ropes and see if I can sneak across one of the nightingale floors - more to see if it's something I can pull off - but just as I'm about to lift the rope to duck underneath it, Koizumi seems to think it's a good time to ask me whether I'm enjoying the trip.

I really don't feel like getting into it, so I more or less just blow him off. It kind of kills any motivation for trying to sneak around to see the off-limits parts of the castle, too, since just about every time I make up my mind to try something he seems to notice that I'm upset and asks me about it - and won't take the hint to just leave me alone either. Whatever, it's not like it's all that important anyway.

After we finish the tour of Nijo, I don't really care enough to hit up any of the other temples in Kyoto, and we end up coming home somewhat early. Yuki actually seemed to be in a bit of a hurry for something, although she didn't say what in particular was on her mind; she barely stopped to say goodbye before heading out from the station, and I didn't stick around to talk to the others before I decided to head home myself.

To be honest, I can't summon up enough effort to really care about the trip at all. When you've been to see the same landmarks so many times in such a short period, it's hard to keep up enthusiasm for it, especially when there's nothing particularly outstanding or unusual to note aside from how long the place has been there.

Once I get home, I try to think of other things we might be able to try tomorrow; we could go back to Kyoto to see some of the sites we missed today, but I can't really think of much that's better. Nara is a possibility, but I'm not aware of any good supernatural stories about it - but then I didn't really try to dig much up about Kyoto, either. I guess it'll work if nothing better presents itself, but I'll admit that just going there to see the reconstruction of the ancient Imperial Palace isn't really doing much towards my ultimate goal either.

At least I seem to be making progress at night with my dreaming. Maybe I should just cancel the Brigade's activities for the rest of the week and focus on that, since the day trips are currently ranging from boredom-inducing to irritating. Seems like giving the rest of the Brigade a pass, though, since it means Kyon and I are the only ones working towards the goal of finding anything amazing - or at least he'd _better_ be working on it! I briefly flirt with the idea of giving him a call to check up today, but decide against it; I'm not really in the mood to talk, and making a long-distance call just to warn him to work on his assignment isn't really high on my priority list.

Without anything better to do for now, I flop down at my desk and start messing around online. Maybe I can find some ideas for projects that the others can work on this week, if we end up skipping the day trips.

* * *

><p>Once I head to bed, I'm fully expecting to end up in a lucid dream, so I don't spend more than a moment or two checking to make sure that I am. Sure enough, it's a dream; this time, I appear to have landed on the top of a range of mountains stretching out as far as I can see - although that's not saying much, since these mountains are tall enough that most of what I can see is clouds stretching away in every direction.<p>

Somehow the dream feels... different this time, less intense in some way. There's not much color to be seen from here; I'm up high enough that most of the ground that I can see is covered with snow, and the clouds themselves are uniformly monochrome, but even so there's a sense that the world isn't quite as vivid as it was the last time, like it's closer to what I think of as 'real'.

It's enough to get me to pause for a minute - maybe I should plan out what I'm doing more carefully today. I want to start seriously looking for Kyon tonight; he's had enough time that he could probably start getting into lucid dreams himself, so now I think there's actually a possibility of finding him. From where I am now, the same thought applies as the last time - the landscape here is cool, but not really somewhere I can see Kyon coming to randomly. Especially if it's someplace that I'm inventing entirely out of my own head, and it doesn't look like anywhere I've seen pictures of before.

Deciding to take a somewhat more gentle approach, I turn the page to another place again, aiming for somewhere we've actually been with the Brigade before. Taking more direct control seems to work fine; when I open my eyes again, I'm on an island, just in front of the mansion where Koizumi staged the mystery for us over the summer vacation last year.

This is as good a place as any to start looking for Kyon, I figure; I can imagine him dreaming himself here, especially if he's currently stuck on a 'working' vacation - why not dream yourself into a place that was a lot more relaxing? Aside from the storm and the murder mystery, this was a pretty laid-back place overall - plenty to do if you're bored and good for relaxing if you're not.

With that thought in mind, I walk up to the front door of the mansion and step inside; the only oddity is that the door opens for me, but with this being a dream that's not that big a deal-

Except that it's not just opening by itself, it's opened by the butler from the time we visited - Arakawa, I think his name was? I guess it doesn't matter so much here, all things considered. He gives me a bow as I enter the house, closing the door behind me as I step into the entrance.

I don't really look around the house yet; what's more interesting is seeing the butler here at all. While I really doubt this is the _real_ Arakawa, it's still the first example I've had of another person acting independently from me.

I take a minute to walk around him, looking at him from every angle; there doesn't seem to be anything out of place or unusual about him at all that I can see, nothing that makes him scream 'yes, I'm a figment of your imagination!' He does watch me though, and once I finish circling him he does ask if there's anything he can do for me, to which I just shake my head in reply.

It does make me wonder; if I come across Kyon, will he be able to tell _me_ apart from just a part of _his_ dream? Looking down at myself, there's nothing that unusual about my appearance; I'm just wearing my regular school uniform - totally average and boring; I'm almost disgusted with myself for not doing something more outstanding from the beginning! It does leave plenty of room for improvement, at least - something stylish and unique should help me stand out if I do run into Kyon and don't spot him right away.

The first thought that springs to mind is something like a superhero costume, but I immediately toss the idea out as too cheesy-looking. Something long and flowing - like a cape - would definitely draw attention, though. After a moment's thought, I decide on a trenchcoat, like you'd see in a ouendan squad. While I don't plan to run around shouting, the idea is to get attention, so it's a good fit.

The one downside of this is that it's dark-colored, and I won't exactly stand out in a dark place. The idea of a bright-colored trenchcoat isn't exactly appealing, so I change my top to a bright yellow camisole. I consider doing something similar with my skirt, but after a moment I decide against it; there should at least be _something_ familiar, or he might not even realize it's me. The finishing touch is easy; I just put my hand on my upper arm, and when I take it away I've got one of my red armbands on - this one's got 'Legendary Dreamer' on it.

With all that done, I think I'm ready; the butler doesn't seem to have been bothered in the slightest by my clothes just spontaneously changing during this whole process, so it's more evidence that this probably isn't the real one - I imagine he'd at least have said something while all that was going on. I briefly wonder if I had some kind of magical girl transformation scene, but it sure didn't _feel_ like one - and the idea of flashing some random man like that? Ugh... I decide to put it out of my mind and just get started on the hunt for Kyon.

The most obvious place to check, at least inside the mansion, is the game room. It doesn't take me long to reach it; I'm only walking, but since I don't really feel like wasting time getting from one place to another, my steps cover more ground than they really should. I barely even notice it at first, but when the doorways start zipping past almost faster than I can register, it kind of jumps out at me - it looks like the fact that I can shape the world around me here can come out in all kinds of ways that I'm not even thinking about.

As I enter the game room, I can see the maid inside, cleaning up from a mahjong game. I can't recall her name offhand, unfortunately - I saw less of her than I did of the butler. Nothing odd about her either, as far as I can see, but I seriously doubt she's any more 'real' than Arakawa was - this has to be my mental picture of what she was like. The room is empty aside from her, though, so I don't bother to search for more time than it takes to glance around the room.

Without further ado, I head up the stairs to the second-floor bedrooms; all of them are empty, not even luggage on the floor. With that in mind, it's probably not worth wasting more time looking here, since there are plenty of other places Kyon might be that don't have anything to do with this island - and if I get bogged down searching every inch of this place, I won't have a chance to look anywhere else - I think. It's hard to really judge how time moves here - is this taking a long time or is it going really quickly?

Regardless, I decide to try somewhere else. After closing my eyes, I reach up to turn the page, focusing on finding someplace familiar.

When I open my eyes, familiar is definitely the scene in front of me - I'm standing right outside the door to the club room, and I can hear people moving around inside, although I can't tell who. Best way to find out is the direct approach, so without even pausing to think I kick the door open to see who's inside.

And the answer seems to be 'the entire Brigade', although what's unusual is that almost no one seems to notice the door slamming against the wall. Yuki and Mikuru glance up at me - the latter almost seeming irritated, which is really weird - but Kyon and Koizumi don't pay any attention at all, both of them focused on Mikuru. It's pretty obvious why, too; she's wearing a maid uniform, but it's not the one I'm used to - she's got enough cleavage showing to hide her textbooks in it!

I can feel my temper starting to rise as Kyon continues to focus on her; it's pretty obvious he's enjoying the view, which... I suppose I can't _entirely_ blame him for. But to ignore _me_...!

Finally, he does manage to tear his gaze away long enough to acknowledge my entrance; I narrow my eyes and am about to light into him when I stop - this is a dream, after all, and what I'm seeing may not be the real Kyon, just like the maid and the butler from last night. The fact that his eyes seem to be locked on Mikuru's chest don't really provide much evidence either way; the real one is just as likely to do that as any mental picture I have of him would.

Mikuru, on the other hand, is definitely not the real one. Not only is she apparently comfortable - and confident - wearing that kind of outfit, she seems to be completely aware of the kind of attention she can get from Kyon, and is playing the seductive card for all it's worth. I'm sure she's deliberately leaning over when she puts down his tea so he can see down her cleavage, and 'accidentally' brushing up against him whenever she can manage it. I'm half surprised she hasn't tried sitting down in his lap yet!

I manage to tear my gaze away from the pair of them long enough to check out the others. Yuki actually seems slightly different somehow as well; it takes me a minute of looking at her to figure out what it is. Usually, she's either nose down in a book or looking directly at whoever it is that's got her interest; she doesn't really go for half measures, but that's exactly what she's doing here. She's got one of her books held up to cover most of her face (where she's usually got the book in her lap) and she's looking over the top of it, her eyes furtively going back and forth between everyone in the room except for me. The overall impression is that she's spying on everyone in the room - the only thing that would make it more obvious is if she had a notepad out and was taking notes on everything she was seeing.

Koizumi, for his part, seems to be watching Kyon and Mikuru with a dissatisfied expression, occasionally glancing over at me to see what I'm doing, although for the moment I'm just watching with a frown while I try to figure out what's going on here. Every time Mikuru starts flashing her cleavage or simpering at Kyon, his scowl deepens a little more. He obviously doesn't trust her, although the fact that he keeps looking at me is weird - maybe he's waiting for me to step in and say something first?

"Kyon-kun, I promise it won't be anything bad - and if you help me, I'll give you something really good~!" Mikuru chirps, leaning forward and draping her arms around Kyon from behind. With her leaning forward like that, her breasts are practically wrapped around his head! I clench my hand at my side - and since I've turned my head down to avoid watching Mikuru, I get distracted by my fingers waving around in every direction, despite the fact that I can feel them clenched in a fist. It's a good reminder that this is only a dream, and that what I'm seeing isn't the _real_ Mikuru (or probably Kyon, either), but it's distracting as hell. On a hunch, I try thinking about looking at my hands in gloves, which seems to work - now I'm looking at a white glove clenched in a solid fist, rather than the blur of fingers I was looking at before.

That's about enough of that, I think. "Mikuru-chan! Stop-" That's as far as I get before I'm interrupted, which is such a surprise by itself that I stand there dumbfounded as the responsible party goes on.

"Asahina!" Koizumi barks, sounding far more angry than I did. I'll admit to being seriously annoyed at her acting like that, but Koizumi... if I didn't know better, I'd say he was on the verge of throwing her out bodily. "Kyon-kun has duties to the Brigade, and as such they supersede anything you have in mind!"

Mikuru flashes an annoyed look at Koizumi at that, and ignores me entirely, which only serves to further my irritation. "Don't worry about them, Kyon-kun - you know I wouldn't ask you to do anything to hurt the Brigade, right?" She lowers her head so her lips are brushing up against his ear. "I just need a teeny, tiny favor from you, that's all."

Kyon, surprisingly, doesn't just fall all over himself to say yes at that; in fact, other than a smug smile, he doesn't seem to be reacting to Mikuru much at all! ...at least that I can see, anyway. Before he can give a response, though, Koizumi pipes back up again.

"You're a member of the SOS Brigade first and foremost, Kyon," he says in a warning tone. "The only person's orders you should be following are Suzumiya-san's! And mine, as her second-in-command," he adds, almost as an afterthought. It's a little surprising to see, really - sure, I made him the vice-commander back when he joined, but it's not like he's actually done anything with it that I've ever seen.

Kyon scowls at Koizumi in reply. "Don't give me that, Koizumi," he says, shaking his head - which, I note, prompts Mikuru to pull back a little. "I know exactly where my loyalties lie, and I know you're only loyal to Haruhi just as far as it makes your life easier. You wouldn't hesitate to tell me to cross her if you thought it would improve matters for you - it's just rare that it does."

Koizumi just fumes in response to that, and I open my mouth to call Kyon down for that - even if he's right, that's no way to act! - but he actually beats me to it while I'm still trying to find the right words. "Did you have any special assignments for me today, Haruhi?"

This is about the last thing I would have expected - Kyon _looking_ for me to give him something to do? - so I simply shake my head, the tirade I was putting together pretty much blown away.

With what's going on, I'm feeling a little shaky, so I stumble over to my chair to sit down. As I do, Mikuru lets out a plaintive little "Kyon-kun? Will you help me?" I don't turn to look - given the way she's been hanging all over him I really don't need any further reasons to get upset.

"You know my conditions, Asahina-san," Kyon says in a warning tone. "I know you're acting on orders from your superiors, so you'd better have passed it along to them that I won't do anything to damage the SOS Brigade's standing."

"I did," Mikuru pouts; I'm able to see them again after I sit down, visible just past the edge of the computer monitor. "It'll help both of us, really! The student council president is hiding the plans for a new superweapon in a bunker on the other side of the campus; I just need you to infiltrate and steal them for me, that's all! Nothing you can't handle!"

My mouth drops open at that, and I have to resist the urge to laugh - okay, this really did just prove it was a dream. Kyon, some kind of super secret agent that steals plans? As if!

For his part, he doesn't seem perturbed in the slightest. "All right, that shouldn't be too much trouble," he allows, getting out of his chair and putting on something from the costume rack that I don't recognize - a long tan greatcoat. He pulls out a pair of mirrored sunglasses from a pocket inside, then nods to me. "I'll take the plans, but I won't give them to you - we'll hold onto them for the Brigade's future use."

Mikuru seems about to protest at that - and my eyes are about to bug out at Kyon in general - when he pulls a fancy-looking PDA out of one pocket and pokes at it briefly. "Everything looks nominal - I should be back before the club meeting is over." With that, he gives me a cocky salute - and then abruptly vanishes into thin air!

Mikuru runs to the doorway - now open, although I didn't pay attention to whether it was ever closed - and stands there looking forlornly at the hallway outside. "I'll steal you away for myself yet, Kyon-kun - just you wait!" I hear her faintly.

And that, somehow, is just the last straw; I burst out laughing. Mikuru acting somewhere between a James Bond girl and an overwrought romance novel heroine is crazy enough by itself, but Kyon as some kind of super secret agent? This is just too much! I'll admit, I could maybe see a really good story behind it, but seeing it happen for real is _completely_ insane - even if this is only a dream!

Apparently that's enough to 'break' the scene; all three of the remaining Brigade members look back at me in surprise before they phase out in what looks like a burst of TV static, leaving me alone in the clubroom. Even with that minor shock to help break the tension, it takes me a minute to get my hilarity under control. Once I've wiped the tears out of the corners of my eyes, I take stock of what just happened.

Obviously, none of those were the real Brigade members. Yuki was probably the closest to real, but even she was clearly different; everyone seemed like some sort of spy movie character. Koizumi the underhanded second-in-command, Mikuru the beautiful enemy spy that tries to subvert the hero, and Kyon definitely as the hero secret agent; I'm half surprised he didn't introduce himself as "Kyon, James Kyon"! I didn't really seem to factor into the scenario much myself, though - other than being the head of what would have been Kyon and Koizumi's organization, I guess. I'll admit, it was gratifying to see that Kyon was staying loyal, even with Mikuru all over him like that.

I can definitely see that being a fun idea to explore, but I'd need to come at it in the right frame of mind - that was about the last thing I was expecting here. I guess that comment of Mikuru's at the castle the other day was floating around in the back of my head to come up with that - that she's some kind of secret agent taking 'orders' from someone. I shake my head to dismiss the thought. Something to look into later; for now, I still have to find the real Kyon.

Another turn of the page reveals me... outside the club room, in the exact same spot I was in before. Not exactly what I was expecting, but given that this is just about the most likely place that I'd find Kyon, I shrug and enter the room again - although somewhat more cautiously this time, since if it's something crazy I might get more just from watching it for a few minutes than interrupting things.

This time, both of the male members seem to focus on me the minute I get into the room. Kyon, for his part, just looks expectant; Koizumi, on the other hand, looks like a lovesick puppy, and starts acting like one almost immediately, too. Before I've even managed to close the door to the room he's on his feet, taking my hand and kissing the back of it.

I snatch it away almost immediately, though. "Koizumi, what the hell?"

He steps back, looking shocked. "Is something the matter, Haruhi-chan? Are you not feeling well today?"

That stops me dead, and I barely manage to splutter out a response. "Haruhi-chan!"

Koizumi doesn't seem to be thrown off by that at all, and I have to force myself to remember that this is a dream - the odds of these being the real Brigade members - aside from Kyon, who I think I've shared dreams with before - is _really_ small. This is just my mind trying to put together a picture of Koizumi - and I guess at least a part of me sees a possibility that he's sticking around the Brigade to get closer to me.

I manage to force a smile as Koizumi looks on in concern. "I'm... I'm fine, really - just caught a little off guard is all." I don't really like the way he's hovering around me, so I push him away a bit and head over to my desk.

"You look rather stressed, dear," Koizumi says, his eyes radiating concern. "Do you want anything to drink?"

At that, I glance over at Mikuru; the fact that I didn't notice her right away isn't all _that_ unusual by itself, but I would have expected her to have brought over tea by now. Instead, she's just standing next to Yuki's chair, looking over towards the costume rack with a blank expression.

"Mikuru-chan!" I bark out. "Why haven't you put on your uniform and gotten the tea ready yet?"

"Um... I didn't know which outfit you wanted me to wear today," she says, giving me an embarrassed smile. "I-if you wanted tea, did that mean you wanted the maid uniform or the waitress uniform?"

"Either one is fine, just get changed and get the tea started!" I snap, frowning at her - which seems to put her on the verge of tears.

She looks totally lost, finally looking towards Koizumi - Koizumi? She usually looks at Kyon when I'm getting on her case! - who nods understandingly. "The maid uniform," he says gently. "Kyon-kun, if you'd take care of getting some tea?"

"Of course, sir," he replies, slipping out of the clubroom almost instantly. Since when does he call- actually, that's a good question for real.

"Since when does Kyon call you 'sir'?" I demand, raising an eyebrow at Koizumi.

"Why wouldn't he?" Koizumi answers, nonplussed. "As you've stated repeatedly, he is the lowest ranked member of the Brigade, after all, and I'm the vice commander. Shouldn't he be respectful when he's addressing me?"

I simply grunt in reply to that. Yeah, okay, so he's the bottom of the totem pole for the Brigade, sure - but that doesn't mean he needs his nose rubbed in it, either, unless he's acting up. I cross my arms and scowl - I'm not sure I like this particular representation of Koizumi.

He seems to correctly pick up on the fact that I'm upset at that, but clearly not why - since he walks around behind me and starts to rub my shoulders. That just gets me even more irritated, so I bat his hands away, and he steps back, looking hurt.

"Just... not right now, okay?" I say tiredly. "I'm not in the mood for it."

"Of course, my dear," he replies, heading over to his seat to relax.

During this whole process, Mikuru's almost finished changing, and there's been no sign of Kyon. Yuki is almost an afterthought - but yes, she's here, nose down in a book. Has she not paid attention to _anything_ that's happened since I got here?

I rest my chin on my hand, waiting for Kyon to get back. I'm pretty sure this Kyon isn't the real one either; even with the short time he was actually in the room it's fairly obvious. I can't see him ever bending enough to call Koizumi 'sir' like that, no matter what I've said about it - and honestly, I wouldn't really want him to, either.

As if thinking about him summoned him from the ether, he just shows up at my elbow, putting a cup of hot tea on the corner of my desk. "Here's your tea, Suzumiya-sama," he says quietly, moving back and taking a seat before I can even reply.

Suzumiya-sama? Okay, sure, I'll admit there's a nice ring to it, but coming from Kyon...? No, that doesn't fit at all!

"I was expecting to get Mikuru-chan's tea," I grumble under my breath, eyeing the cup. Kyon's tea is terrible.

Both Kyon and Koizumi seem somewhat surprised at that, but Kyon quickly moves to collect the cup off my desk. "If... you're sure, Suzumiya-sama. I've made it the way you like, but if you'd prefer, uh, Asahina-san's tea, that's fine as well."

Something funny there, but honestly it's not worth caring about Mikuru's tea or Kyon's tea - Kyon is the important element here. "Doesn't it bug you that I don't want it?"

"You're the Brigade Chief," Kyon replies, as if that answers everything. "Whatever you'd like, I'll do my best to get it for you."

Yeah, this _definitely_ isn't the real Kyon. Just to make sure, I decide to try something that should prove the point. "Fine, then - I'll take some tea, but you're not dressed for it. Go put on the waitress uniform and serve it properly this time!"

Kyon doesn't even hesitate, moving over to the costume rack and pulling the waitress uniform off the hanger, then taking off his uniform coat. He's gotten about as far as unbuttoning his shirt before I finally burst out of my chair, slamming my hands down on my desk. "Stop it! Fight back, argue, do something! Getting into Mikuru's waitress costume is _stupid_, you know that!"

Kyon pauses, looking over at me in confusion with his bare chest showing. I'll admit, I don't mind the view at all, even if the reason I'm getting it is totally ridiculous. "But you're the Brigade Chief - I can't go against your orders, and you'd never do anything silly like that. I might not understand why, but I know you must have a good reason for this."

"That's just it, I _don't_!" I shout back, closing my eyes. "This is totally wrong - that's it, I'm done!"

I don't even bother to hide what I'm doing before I reach up to turn the page again. This time, once I open my eyes, it's almost like nothing's changed - I'm still standing behind my desk, but now Kyon's sitting in his seat with a fixed scowl - fully dressed. At least things have changed again.

It takes me a minute to get my bearings again. Kyon's not the only one looking different here, although the others look almost afraid - even Yuki! - which has me a bit worried. The look on Kyon's face isn't reassuring, either; while I'm using to him looking dour, this is closer to actual anger - not a good look for Kyon, and not one I've seen very often either.

Everyone seems to be waiting on me to do something, but I'm flustered enough from the last group and the sudden change to this one that I'm having trouble getting my thoughts organized.

"All right, everyone - report on your assignments!" I snap, for lack of anything better to say.

Koizumi steps up first, glancing briefly at Kyon before launching into his report. "Of course, Suzumiya-san. Since we're working on our recruitment drive, I've been in contact with the student council about getting space for flyers on some of the bulletin boards in the first-year students' hallways. Thankfully, there was little trouble - as long as we don't cover the entire board, we're free to put up advertisements for the club as we like."

Recruitment, huh? Probably not a bad idea for the real world, once classes start back up again! I nod in approval, turning next to Mikuru. "Mikuru-chan?"

"Um, I've been working on the layout for the flyers like you asked me to, Suzumiya-san. I've got a couple of different designs for you to look at whenever you're ready, then once you've decided which one you like we can get them printed up and start distributing them."

"That's fine - good work, Mikuru-chan!" Actually, this group isn't seeming so bad so far - at least aside from that scowl on Kyon's face, which I'm really not liking the look of. "Yuki?"

"I..." Her voice falters for a moment, and she glances over at Kyon before she manages to get her voice working. "I updated the Brigade's website and added more pictures of our activities," she says hesitantly, her gaze flicking back and forth between me and Kyon.

I can understand a little, since it's Kyon's job to maintain the website. I narrow my eyes a bit at that, giving her a curt nod before I turn to Kyon. "Kyon! You're supposed to be taking care of the website - are you making Yuki do your work for you now?"

He just snorts at that, turning his head away from me.

Yuki jumps in before I can lay into him for that, though. "I-it's fine, really," she says quickly. "I don't mind helping Kyon-kun out at all." If I didn't know better, I'd say she was blushing! What the hell's up with that?

In the end, it doesn't matter - Kyon's the focus here, and I've got more than enough reason to let him have it. "It's good that you're willing to help out, but that's Kyon's job! Everyone in the Brigade has their own responsibilities, and no one's allowed to slack off or make others do their share of the work!

"Kyon! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing," he snaps back irritably.

I can feel my own temper rising at that reply. "What do you mean 'nothing'? Even if Yuki's willing to help you out, the website is your responsibility!"

"So what?" he shoots back with a sneer. "It's not like anyone but you ever looks at it anyway, so it doesn't matter whether I do it or Nagato does it or if it even gets done at all!"

"...KYON!" I roar back, almost literally seeing red. "That's rank insubordination, and I'm not going to stand for it! You'll have penalties until this time next year if you keep this up!"

"What do I care?" he spits out, standing up and turning to face me. "Recruiting for this stupid Brigade is a joke anyway - it's not like anyone's going to pay attention, and even if they did, why would anyone bother to join it? It's not like we actually _do_ anything here anyway!"

"That's IT!" I shout at him - I'm so mad at this point I'm literally shaking. "I don't want to hear this from you - either apologize to both me and Yuki for skipping your duties and making her pick up the slack, or get out!"

"I'll take option two, in that case," he fires back, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair. "I don't even know why I bothered sticking around here anyway - this club has been nothing but trouble ever since the day you got the idea in your head. I'm done with it, and with you."

"Get out of my sight!" I scream back. "Get out, now!"

And then, after the briefest expression of shock, he does - crumbling away like he's made of ash and falling into a pile on the floor. The others just fade away as he does, the world seeming to take on a gray tone as they do.

My god, what did I just _do_? Kyon just-

The last warning I have that things are not going well is a blue glow from outside the clubroom, then the room explodes-

And I sit bolt upright in bed, my heart pounding like it's going to leap out of my chest.

I don't sleep a wink for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>After a long, sleepless night, stuck listening to rain patter against the windows, I manage to struggle out of bed. I feel like hell, and with the rain showing no signs of letting up I'm not particularly inclined to go out and do anything today. Even before I bother to wash my face, I get text messages sent to the rest of the Brigade to cancel the trip for today. I don't even bother checking for replies for now; it's still early enough that they shouldn't have left for the station yet anyway. Probably a good thing, too, since I'm really having to struggle to get moving this morning.<p>

It takes almost twice as long as usual to get through my morning routine; even for having missed sleep last night, this is way slower than I should be going, which is starting to irritate me. Once it's out of the way, I face the dilemma of what to do today; without any better idea for now, I throw myself down on the couch and flip on the TV.

Dad seems to have left it on the news channel before he and Mom left for their own vacation, so I'm kind of zoned out until the weather report comes on. Since I'm a bit irritated with the rain anyway, I try to pay a bit more attention while the weatherman's giving his spiel.

From what he's saying, it looks like the rain's not going to let up probably until Friday or Saturday. What's more interesting - and mildly worrying - is that apparently it's been raining up north for the entire week; apparently there's been some localized flooding near Aomori, although nothing too major. It makes me wonder how Kyon's been doing; if he's been stuck inside for most of the week babysitting his cousins... ugh. I really should give him a call - it'll be good to hear what kind of progress he's made, and maybe it'll give him a break from dealing with family for a while. Probably too early in the day for it right now, but it might help to clear the last image from that dream out of my head.

Uncomfortable as it is to think about, there's still something to be learned from that. What I need to hold onto is that when it's my dream, I'm in control - and I'd better stay that way. Even if I try to think about what happened as an accident - and I have a hard time buying that - that I could just obliterate Kyon with a thought is seriously disturbing. Even though I know it wasn't the real Kyon, it was a lot like him; even with things blown out of proportion it was similar enough to the real thing that part of me feels like I actually destroyed him.

The thought makes me shudder, and I shake my head briefly to try to clear the dark thoughts out of my head. For now, I figure I should do some more research on lucid dreaming; I seem to be having trouble with throwing myself out of the dream when I don't intend to. I can start online, then review the book if I can't find anything helpful; if I can't find anything here, maybe I could head to the library later this afternoon or something. Should manage to take care of the day, at least until it's time to call Kyon.

* * *

><p>The first indication that something isn't quite right is when my eyes flutter open and it's dark. The lucid dreaming book is face down on my chest, and I don't even try to resist the urge to stretch as I come awake. Almost without thinking I check my hands, although the sight of my fingers sticking straight out as I stretch is good enough to confirm that this isn't a dream.<p>

...you're kidding me. I slept through the _entire afternoon_? Real swift, Suzumiya - way to waste a full _day_ of your vacation.

The last thing I can clearly remember was coming back up to my room after lunch to work on reading the lucid dreaming book; I wasn't able to find much in the way of details online in the morning, so I was going to review the book to see if it had any tips I'd missed. Then... waking up, and it's apparently fairly late - the last light of sunset's just barely visible in the window.

I prop up the book and glance at the page where I apparently dozed off - then snort. How fitting - it mentions that lucid dreaming is less restful than regular sleep, and that it's harder to maintain a lucid dream when you're not well rested, so trying to keep it up on a consistent basis becomes more and more difficult.

Setting the book aside, I head downstairs to start putting together some dinner. My parents are on their own vacation right now. I could have gone with them, but I was expecting the Brigade to be doing more this week so I turned them down when they were getting everything arranged. On the plus side it means I don't have to deal with them at all this week - no nagging about making sure homework is done or doing any extra studying - but on the down side it also means that it's almost freakishly quiet around here. Not that I'd really be spending much time around them if they _were_ here, but there'd at least be the sound of the TV on, or the two of them talking, and it might help to pull me out of some of the darker thoughts that have been running through my head today.

Shaking off the introspective mood, I put dinner together and retreat to my room to finish up. If the book was right, the one bright spot for today is that I should be caught up on my rest so I can keep working on trying to find Kyon. I had a rough time last night, but I know I'm close; I can't afford to give up now!

* * *

><p>I'm almost reluctant to check whether I'm dreaming this time; the fact that I'm in the ouendan coat and tank top seems to tell the story, although with the gloves on my usual reality check doesn't work - simply taking one off for a moment solves that problem.<p>

So I'm in the dream again. I seem to have started out pretty mundane tonight myself; I'm standing just outside Kitaguchi Station again, although the world isn't silent and gray this time at least. There aren't any other people around that I can see, although it _sounds_ like there are; snatches of conversation just on the edge of hearing, doors closing, the noise of a train arriving at the station.

I take a moment to get myself together before I set off today, though. _You_ are the one in control of your dreams, Suzumiya Haruhi; remember that. If I come across people that look like the ones I know, they're something that's out of my own head, so losing my cool and getting ticked off at them isn't going to serve any kind of purpose whatsoever.

With that thought in mind, I turn the page to start my hunt for Kyon. Not too surprisingly, I end up outside the Brigade room again; for all that last night was a disaster, I do have to admit that my best chances for finding him in the dream are still here. The only other place I could see him ending up would be somewhere around Hinamizawa, since that's where he is right now. The research at the library today wasn't too helpful in that regard, unfortunately, since the only information I was really able to find were some old newspaper articles from the late 70's talking about the murder from when the dam was being built. More details than I found online, but not much in the way of pictures of the area - just some of the people involved in the investigation and a few maps showing the dam's floodplain.

I shake my head a bit, then stare down the door for a moment. Probably best for me just to act as normal as possible, and wait for any differences to make themselves apparent. So, sticking to that plan, I kick the door open the way I usually do, then stride into the club room to see what's waiting for me this time.

Unlike last night, there's only one person in here today - just Kyon. Since it's probably another fake, and since it's only him I have to figure out this time, I'm going to have to take more charge from the very beginning this time. I give him a grin, then make a fist. One thing's for sure - starting a confrontation should tell me what this Kyon is like pretty quickly!

"Another one, eh?" I smirk at him, waiting to see how he'll react - but he doesn't, not really, just staring at me blankly from behind a cup of tea.

Well, this is getting me nowhere. Time to get outrageous! If it's the argumentative Kyon or the slave Kyon, this should tip the scales on either pretty quickly. I gesture at him, using my control of the dream to put him in a cheerleader's outfit - specifically, a girl's outfit. "Dance for me, cheerleader!"

He just frowns at that, offering up a simple "No," in reply. Looks like this might be a bit harder than I thought, if he's going to just sit there anyway. I'm about to see if I can throw him off by reversing his personal gravity, but he beats me to the punch, pointing at me and-

I feel my clothes shift, and it breaks my concentration. It only takes a moment before I realize I'm in Mikuru's maid uniform - how the hell did he do that? _I'm_ the one in control of the dream! Even my armband is gone, and if I'd changed my own outfit - even subconsciously - I would have at least left _that_ much there!

He seems to find it amusing; there's a big grin on his face as he continues. "You promised you'd wear that once, and never have. Now, some tea wouldn't be amiss."

No way - how the hell would a figment of my imagination remember that kind of detail right off the top of his head? I remember saying it once, a long time ago, but I wasn't thinking about that at all! Almost without thinking about it, I put my armband back, then stare at him in consternation.

The answer comes to me in a flash. "Wait - you're the _real_ Kyon, not another dream Kyon?"

Pfft - why am I even asking? I _know_ it's right! "You must be! The maid fetish proves it!" Well, he _is_ usually ogling Mikuru when she's wearing it, and if it's the real Kyon that should at least get a rise out him.

I start to look around a little more closely; if this is his dream, what's different than mine? We both know the Brigade room, after all, so it should be the same. As I'm looking around, waiting for Kyon to react, I notice that there are a lot more details here that I didn't notice before; admittedly, last night I wasn't paying that much attention to the room, but some things jump out at me - like the fact that I can actually make out individual costumes on the costume rack. Still, with this being Kyon, I have to make sure to push him a bit, too. "I'd have expected more from you in your dreams, but I guess this is good enough to start. This is the most detailed version of this room I've seen since I've started."

I still haven't gotten any kind of reaction, though, so I finally turn to face him; his mouth is hanging open, his jaw flapping like a fish out of water. I put my hands on my hands and smirk in triumph - this is definitely the real one!


	4. Season of the Mists

In Your Dreams - Chapter Four

Season of the Mists

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>I reel, just a little bit, staring at the girl in Asahina-san's maid uniform, still wearing the 'Legendary Dreamer' armband. After a quick glance at the costumes on the rack, she turns to stare at me with an expectant grin.<p>

She did it! She really figured out how to meet me in dreams!

It's just a little too much for me; I can feel my barely practiced control slipping away. It's one thing to learn a new skill, but there's a vast gulf in confidence for me trying something new ... and trying something new when someone _else_ is watching you - especially when that someone else is Suzumiya Haruhi!

"Hey!" she protests, her smile vanishing in a heartbeat as she zips to the space before me, her hands grabbing my coat, giving me a gentle shake. "Kyon! What's going on? Keep it together!"

Before anything else, I recall what Nagato had mentioned again- A space that waking people couldn't enter? So ... maybe this isn't really Haruhi in my dream - but _both_ of us somewhere else. That calms me down enough to get things back in control. Nagato said this would be fine, right? So- So why worry about it?

I'm not sure how long it takes, but after I calm down I give a small shake of my head. Really, if anything, isn't this all _my_ fault for bringing up that 'dream' that Haruhi and I shared so long ago?

This time, it doesn't look like Haruhi's about to rewrite the world to make it more interesting - so there's that, at least.

"S...sorry," I manage. "I wasn't- You never told me this was your plan, was all," I manage, almost mumbling, her fists still full of my coat, resting on my chest. The surprisingly clear worry on her face fades somewhat, though she doesn't move away.

I shake my head sharply before she can respond. Trying to puzzle this out would be like trying to solve the riddle of the Sphinx, and I've had enough confusion for one day! That thought in mind, I simply ask, "Actually, what _was_ your plan? I was supposed to learn..." I make a vague gesture to the room around us, and give her a questioning gaze.

Her eyes flick away from me as the last of the worry fades from her face. "I came to get a report on your progress, of course!" she answers.

"I ... just got here," I say, somewhat plaintively, unable to keep a faint note of protest from my voice.

"Did you do anything yet?" she prompts, raising an eyebrow.

I try very hard not to think about the idea I had briefly of summoning an Asahina-san of some sort- "Nothing at all!"

Haruhi finally releases my coat and straightens up, giving me a dubious look. "Somehow, I'm not sure I believe that."

...it's just not fair how obvious I probably look to her sometimes - and it's not like I'd really even decided to do it! I just considered it when she barged in and- "Wait," I start, looking at her curiously. "'Not another dream Kyon,' you said? What's that all about?"

"N-never-mind about that!" she says quickly, turning to look at the costumes again - frowning for some reason at what appears to be an even skimpier maid costume hanging at the very end.

Before I can deny having anything to do with it being there, Haruhi scowls at it and looks away. Clearing her throat, but still not meeting my eyes, she says, "I wanted a progress report on how you were doing - but if you want to know what my plan was, I was hoping that this exercise would encourage you to be more creative! In case you haven't noticed, you can do absolutely anything here!

"Don't tell me you can't come up with something interesting to do when you get to make things go exactly the way you want!" She turns her gaze of judgement back to me - making me feel like she could weigh my heart against an ostrich feather. A few minutes of her staring at me in uncomfortable silence pass while I try and think of something before she prompts, "Well?"

"I don't even know where to begin," I complain, shaking my head slightly. "Like I said- I just got here when you showed up!"

She looks irate for a moment before brightening. "Well - I've looked at maps, but it's not the same - show me your village while you tell me what else you've been up to! If you've got no amazing dreams to show me, you can at least tell me what's been keeping you so busy!"

I blink at her, then glance outside the window. The view through it is the same as ever, so I can't help but remark, "We're still at least eight hours of travel away- There's no way we could make it before we had to wake up."

"Idiot," she chides me, her eager smile belying her satisfaction. At what, I'm not sure - until she takes a deep breath and launches into a long-winded explanation: "Didn't I just tell you that in dreams you can do anything you want? It's simple! To change where you are, you just have to think about it, and then make it happen!

"So, for example, I just reach out like I'm turning the page of a book, and then grab the edge of the page," she lectures me. Her hand reaches out, just as she says, and grabs something I can't see. "Now-"

She cuts off abruptly as a bizarre ... _line_ passes over her, in time with her moving hand, and she's completely gone.

I leap to my feet in alarm, trying to keep myself calm. Okay, this is a dream, so-

Just as abruptly - and with that same strange transition and gesture - she returns, frowning. "You didn't come with me," she notes, looking irritated.

"Was I supposed to?" I can't help but ask, unable to deny that I'm glad that she's back.

She opens her mouth to retort, then stops and considers. While she's pondering, and since I'm standing anyway, I think I get what she's after. And it's not what I'd originally had in mind, but instead of summoning a person, a place sounds a lot more reasonable.

Haruhi did just show me that moving another person might be tricky, so while she's quiet, I focus and think about things, moving over to the clubroom door. "Hey," she starts, looking strangely anxious for a moment. "What are-"

That's as far as she gets before I close the door she kicked open, and falls silent, just watching me curiously. I think about the view from the hill by the shrine, and tell myself what to expect before opening the door once more.

Haruhi sounds about as pleased as I feel when it opens to reveal not the corridor of our school outside the clubroom, but the bright sunlit hilltop I envisioned. I can't keep some smug satisfaction from my face; if she notices it, she doesn't say anything, just rushing through into the grass.

I follow behind her, and then we're both standing on top of the hill. Above, the skies are fleeced with clouds, the same shapes I remember gazing at for hours with my 'nee-chan' before-

It's been a while since I've actually been to this hill, come to think of it. We're above the shrine, and have a fair view of the village, though not as good as from Aunt Mion's house. From here, a few of the outlying farmer's homes can be seen, looking as pastoral and classically styled as ever.

The complex of shrine buildings is closer, down a path from our hilltop. The clearing we're in is ringed with trees, like a balding man's head, though they're sparse enough not to block visibility especially well.

"So, this is where you've been hanging out?" she wonders, looking around and admiring the view.

"Not really," I admit, turning back, where there's now just a doorway standing on the top of the hill, the clubroom still visible through it. We exchange a glance, and then both circle around to view it from behind. From the other side, it's just closed. Shaking my head, I gesture down the path we're now facing.

"This is the village shrine," I explain. "It's also just about the largest meeting space with a roof in the village, so town council business frequently takes place here."

"Ah, yeah," Haruhi says, nodding, then breaking into a trot down the hill. To my surprise, when I jog after her, I'm able to keep pace effortlessly.

It takes us almost no time to reach the shrine itself, where Haruhi pauses to admire the scenery. For me, it's nothing new, so naturally, for that reason only, my eyes go to the one thing that's most novel to me here:

Haruhi in that maid costume.

After she finishes admiring the main shrine building, she catches me looking at her. I realize I've been staring a little, but before she can call me on it I ask, "How long are you going to wear that outfit, anyway?"

She instantly shows me that huge grin that always speaks trouble for me and counters, "How long are _you_ going to wear that cute little cheerleader's outfit?"

I look down and belatedly realize in utter mortification - that's what I'm still wearing. I look up to the sky and concentrate, relieved to feel my clothing shift - when I look back down, it's the thick shirt and jeans that I usually wear while visiting my cousins. A bland blue color, but more than good enough for me.

Her grin not diminishing in the slightest, the rest of Haruhi's outfit remains as I changed it.

"Alright," she allows. "You haven't told me what you've been up to yet - show me something else here, too! Oh, and before I forget - you need to give me a call tomorrow when you wake up. That's an order, by the way! You need to mention meeting me here! Understand?"

"Fine, fine," I sigh. "But this is a small village, you know- So small, it's only got a single school, and even though it's two stories, only one room is actually used for classes. I'm not sure there's much to show you."

"Then you can tell me while we go see the school building," she declares, nodding decisively. "So- What's your report, anyway?"

...that actually sounds fine to me. "Alright," I agree, leading the way. She's mostly focused on the view, though she does glance at me every so often as we walk down the rest of the hill from the shrine, away from the stream that runs behind it and toward the school building.

It's about a mile and a half away, even though I'm not sure that will matter in a dream.

"It started raining on Sunday," I sigh, shaking my head. "So I've mostly been cooped up inside with the cousins all day. Other than trips to my aunts' houses to help out with chores, anyway."

"How many aunts do you have, anyway? You mentioned a 'Sonozaki Mion,' but who are the others?"

"My other aunts are Fuurude Rika, Houjou Shion, Houjou Satoko and Ryuugu Rena," I answer. "They've been visiting with my parents while I watch over the cousins, mostly."

"Two aunts named Houjou? Are they sisters?"

I spend some time regaling Haruhi with the convoluted family history- Aunt Shion and Aunt Mion are twin sisters, and Aunt Shion and Aunt Satoko are only sisters-in-law - not that it really matters that much. From a technical standpoint, only Aunt Mion and her sister would be my aunts; the others are just very close friends. But in a village this small...

Of course, emphasising that point, we walk between the rice-paddies and buildings that look almost like they could have been erected centuries ago. Haruhi snickers and shakes her head when we pass the first gassho-zukuri-styled home - a building that sticks up like a wedge with a very steep roof that runs all the way to the ground.

There are more modern touches too; the style was a byproduct of the difficulty of transporting building materials from elsewhere, which isn't a huge concern in the modern era. Even so, the more modern buildings that are scattered around still reflect the classic design. Except for the lack of other people, we might really be walking through the village together!

Maybe distracted by the scenery, or just because of how many of them there are, Haruhi's unable to keep up with the names of all my cousins. She does laugh when she hears that the twin sisters among my aunts _also_ had twins of their own. After I finish relating that, that I explain the much less interesting things that I've been up to lately - what little you really _can_ do while cooped up indoors with so many children.

"Well, I think I know why you always beat Koizumi-kun at games," she allows when we round a bend in the road and the school building comes into view. "It's also cute that you let your little cousins win - though it sounds lame beyond belief that you've basically just been dragged up here to be a babysitter!"

"It's not so bad," I reply. Except, in all honesty, if the rain doesn't let up soon it will probably start really getting to me.

"Hmm," she muses, studying the well-maintained but very old building for the school when we halt at the gate. "You've never taken classes here, though, have you?"

"Of course not," I answer, stepping through the gate. "I've lived in Nishinomiya all my life. My family just comes here to visit."

"So, that means you haven't actually visited your family out here," she says, gesturing to the rice fields behind us, "since last summer?"

I nod in answer.

"I guess it's harder to complain about them wanting to see you, then," she allows reluctantly, before shaking her head. "Well- They only use one room of the school? Show it to me!"

I oblige, leading her into the wooden building. I haven't actually been inside it in years, and I look around to see what's changed- But nothing has. It takes me a minute to remember why; if this is all based off my own memories, why would it be more updated?

Oh, well.

I then also realize that I'm wearing indoor shoes, remarkably intact considering where we've been walking. That thought in mind, I don't bother looking for slippers - and Haruhi doesn't hesitate to follow me down the hall and into the first classroom.

While we're there, and she looks around at what was picked out of my memories to make this place, I remark, "You know- Uncle Keiichi and my aunts all took classes together in this room, and actually formed a club. They used to play games and stuff together."

"Really?" Haruhi asks, looking interested, surveying the room with some new thought in her mind.

I nod, pointing at the now very faded 'Hinamizawa Game Club' sign on one of the storage cabinets in the rear of the room.

She unhesitatingly and enthusiastically flings the cabinet open, admiring the huge stack of collected board games within. It's quite easily more than a match for the library we've amassed in our own clubroom. She quickly starts rifling through them curiously, knocking over a baseball bat with the name 'Satoshi' written on the bottom of it.

Since it's a dream, we both ignore it- When she breaks from shuffling things around with a bright grin, I notice that everything has restored itself to order in the cabinet while we weren't looking.

"Hmm- Okay! Then when we're here, we can make this a satellite Brigade room!" she declares, nodding, raising one fist decisively. "Now..." She looks intent, concentrating on something, but as I watch, her outline ... wavers a bit, like she's suddenly out of focus.

I try to rub my eyes to clear it, but that doesn't help- The edges of her outline start to distort unnervingly. More, there's a trio of shadows before her, outlines of- Wait, is she trying to bring the rest of the Brigade here?

But then- Very abruptly, Haruhi fades into total transparency, and the shadows disperse like a faint dark fog, leaving me alone.

"Ha... Haruhi?" I manage uncertainly, looking around. What the hell just happened?

I feel like some desert wanderer, suffering from some cruel mirage - and suddenly realizing that I'm staring at nothing.

* * *

><p>Not long after Haruhi's abrupt disappearance, I'm awake, staring at the ceiling of the guest bedroom in Aunt Mion's home. I do my reality check to confirm where I am. After that, I pull myself from bed and drag my weary form to my concealed dream journal, unable to keep some grumbling from escaping. I also detour to retrieve my hidden phone and double-check something.<p>

There's not really any difference between my recall of Haruhi from the dream and the last picture I happened to have saved to my phone that had her in it.

Thinking about her instructions to call her, I write down the details of the dream. If it was a dream. I guess it was a _kind_ of dream, anyway...

I stow the notebook and phone before leaving the room, spotting Aunt Mion coming down the hall to wake me. She smiles, remarking, "Up so soon! Could you wake your sister for me?"

Now _there_ is a rare reversal. I nod and step across the hall to Nonoko's borrowed room, knocking once with a knuckle before sliding the door open. My little sister is deceptively cute in that state, like an unarmed explosive, curled up around her pillow and drooling slightly.

If she takes after me in studies, I expect it's only a matter of time before she starts to savor her sleep as much as I do.

Instead of retaliating and stripping the blankets away from her, I carefully lift the lower edge and gently tickle the soles of her feet until she wakes up, giggling. "Kyon-kun?" she mumbles, blinking the sleep from her eyes before looking confused. "Why are you awake before me?"

I'm not about to tell anyone I had a dream which ended in a way that reminded me of an uncomfortable set of days last December! Aside from which, my family remember those same days very, very differently from me. A whole different set of things I don't want to talk about with them.

So I answer, "This mountain air is invigorating."

"Glad to hear it!" my uncle enthuses from the hallway, unexpectedly. "Hey, Kyon-kun, what do you say to giving me a hand? I need to go to Okinomiya to pick up some groceries; if you're up, would you like to come along? There should be enough time for you to wash up before we head out - though, if you do help me, Matsuri-chan's going to be sad that she'll miss you for a good part of the day."

...actually, a chance to get out of the house for a bit would be nice- And this time it'd be spending time with my uncle instead of doing more menial labor for my aunts. A change of pace to clear my head would be ideal, in retrospect. "Sure thing," I agree, nodding.

"Great!" he replies, grinning. "Oh, your aunt Rika also mentioned, 'this too is cutting wood and carrying water' - do you know what that means?"

I relate the story to him as my sister climbs out of her futon and goes to gather a change of clothes- "I'm going to take the first bath~!" she teases, running past my uncle as I finish.

He rolls his eyes, smirking. "You can use the shower in the master bedroom again," he reassures me. "My fault for distracting you."

I nod gratefully and hurry to collect my clothes for the day, jogging quickly to the shower.

* * *

><p>After a shower that washes the last of the sleep from my system, I join my uncle in his car and we take off through the rain. The pass is slick, and there's a danger of mudslides, but the route is safe - even if we do have to go a bit slower than usual on account of the weather.<p>

At least there's a change of scene!

Okinomiya is the nearest town to Hinamizawa, though that's not saying very much. The tallest building in town is four stories, and that's the police station. Thankfully, the supermarket we head to has a covered parking area for loading - once we get enough supplies to feed a horde of cousins for at least a week, we load them into the back of the car, overflowing the trunk and taking up most of the rear seats.

The drive back to Hinamizawa is even slower, thanks to the weight of the groceries. I periodically remember my reality check, but mostly chat with Uncle Keiichi about baseball. He's a fan of the Hanshin Tigers, a little disappointed in me for not going to see a game since we last met. I've been to a few of their games in the past, and thinking about that reminds me of Haruhi-

Realistically, looking back ... I could very well have been one of those other people in the stadium from when she told me that story. The unwelcome, heavy thought bears down on me like the entombing weight of a pyramid.

Sensing this, Uncle Keiichi asks, "What's weighing on your mind?"

"I can't help but think of a friend in Nishinomiya that I haven't seen in a few days," I admit. Her vanishing suddenly at the end of that dream was more than a bit alarming.

He gives a knowing nod, sparing me a sympathetic glance, though most of his attention is on the rain-slicked road. "Your friends are important," he agrees. "Maybe some day you can show this girl around Hinamizawa!"

I didn't say it was a girl, but I realize he might have heard about Nagato calling yesterday- Certainly, he would have heard about Matsuri's complaints on the subject! Anyway, I kind of already _have_ shown her around, haven't I?

After that we're both silent for the rest of the trip; Uncle Keiichi focusing on driving, and me thinking about Haruhi and her instructions for me to call her.

If I'd really thought about it, I would have brought my cell phone with me and called while we were getting groceries. Okinomiya has much better cell reception.

I didn't, though. Given some more time to mull it over... Was it real? Given everything else I've experienced, and Nagato's earlier phone call, I can't really bring myself to strongly doubt it. So I really do have to call Haruhi.

Before that, once Uncle Keiichi parks in front of his and Aunt Mion's home, well... Time to unload groceries without the benefit of an awning. The rain seems to be diminishing a tiny bit, at least; hopefully it'll clear up tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, we both get soaked before my father and Uncle Satoshi join our relay team.

Naturally, since they're still dry, this breaks down into me and Uncle Keiichi staying outside and handing things in through the doorway. After that's all done, I see that Aunt Rika has preemptively restrained Matsuri from jumping at me.

Yurie, providing a better behaved example, helps my little sister drag the excitable little blue-haired girl to the gaming table with the rest of the cousins.

Soaked and freezing, Uncle Keiichi and I are herded into the large bathroom together, despite my complaints. I suppose my 'city-minded' attitude is amusingly conservative to my aunts - when Aunt Mion asks if I'd rather bathe with her, I resign myself to sharing with Uncle Keiichi.

Much to the amusement of my mother and the other aunts.

It's not so bad, and I can see the logic; we're both freezing and wet with rainwater anyway. After rinsing ourselves off, we climb into the large furo to warm up. The environment is quiet and relaxing; if I hadn't rested well, I might drift to sleep.

"Is your friend still on your mind?" Uncle Keiichi asks, reminding me of his presence.

"Yeah," I allow.

For the briefest moment, I toy with the idea of _not_ calling her- Letting her think the entire thing was a dream that had nothing to do with me. At the same time ... even if it does risk bringing up that 'first' dream - too late to call myself stupid for bringing it up, now - I don't like the thought of that.

"Um- Would it be alright to borrow the phone to call that friend?" I ask, shaking my head.

"Absolutely," Uncle Keiichi agrees without hesitation, climbing out of the furo first. "Though you might want to grab something to eat first- Lunch should be ready when we get out, and we both skipped breakfast!"

Nodding thoughtfully, I'm not far behind, giving him enough time to use the changing room in relative privacy before heading out myself.

* * *

><p>Yet another slow day. Dammit.<p>

It's still raining - annoyingly - so yet again, I've been forced to cancel the Brigade's trip for the day.

...okay, that's an excuse. But a good one! I wouldn't have done anything today anyway; there's no _way_ I'm taking any chances of missing Kyon if he calls! The problem is that he doesn't, for the entire morning. And I'm too wound up with thinking about it to really concentrate on much else; I end up starting on a bunch of different things - poking around online, reviewing homework, watching TV, even cleaning the kitchen - but I can't focus on anything for more than about five minutes at a time.

I'm about to start making some lunch when the phone finally rings; I almost pounce on it when it does. The caller ID has an unfamiliar name on it, but it only takes me about two seconds to connect the name with Kyon's aunt before I flip the phone open and bark into it. "This had better be Kyon!"

The response is confirmation enough - both in the voice on the phone and the reply I get. "Well, my little sister probably wouldn't mind talking with you, if you'd rather I put her on."

"Very funny, Kyon - but you'd better tell her I said hello to her too!" I can't keep the smile off my face - even with having seen him in the dream last night, it's good to hear his voice for real.

"Well, I did receive orders that I had to call you today," comes the reply.

Perfect - we _did_ really end up in the same dream! I start pacing through the kitchen, trying to burn off some of my excitement as I respond. "And just where did you get that order? The last thing I told you before you left Nishinomiya was just to work on that lucid dreaming book - I never told you to call in and report on it!"

"But you- You told me last night! You... don't remember?" He sounds a little confused - I won't string him along for _too_ much longer, but this is way too much fun.

"I sure didn't call you last night! How else would I have given you orders?"

The sigh is even audible over long-distance. "It... I was practicing lucid dreaming, and you were there in the clubroom - you told me I had to call you today."

I grin triumphantly, and I'm about to state my approval when I'm interrupted by another voice from the other side of the phone - one I don't recognize. "Kyon-nii-sama, who are you talking to?" It's a younger girl, and there's a slight hint of a threat in the voice - audible even to me from over the phone.

Just as I'm about to ask who it is, another voice pipes up - but this one at least I know, it's Kyon's little sister. "Kyon-kun's on the phone~! Are you talking to Haru-nee or is it Yuki-nee again?"

Kyon talked to Yuki? "What's this about Yuki-" I manage to get out before the outraged gasp comes through from the phone - good grief, is she right on top of the receiver or something?

"Sorry, Haruhi - give me just a minute." There's a couple of noisy clicks from the phone - I'd guess he put down the handset, and I can hear some shuffling in the background. I shake my head; seems like his cousins are a real handful.

It's definitely confirmed a moment later when there's a muffled shout from Kyon in the background, then another click as someone picks up the handset. "Kyon-nii-sama is mine - you stay away from him!" The slamming of the phone back in its cradle is sharp enough to get me to jerk my head away from the phone in shock, but when I look back at it, I'm surprised to see that the call hasn't actually ended yet.

I'm not sure exactly why it's still running after I clearly got hung up on, but I put my cell phone back up to my ear to check anyway. "Hello? Is anyone still there?"

The reply is from yet _another_ unfamiliar girl's voice. "Hmm, are you the nee-chan that Matsu-chan's jealous of, I wonder, I wonder? Take good care of Kyon-nii for us!"

"Wait!" I grab the phone with both hands - Kyon didn't even hear me say that I really did give him that order. "Tell Kyon that it's good that he's following his orders - and that tonight will be just like last night, so he'd better be ready!"

A quiet giggle is the only reply to that, and with a final click, the call _does_ end. I just stare at it for a minute - it's really annoying that I barely got to talk to Kyon at all, but on the other hand... if that's what Kyon's cousins are like? Maybe I should go easy on him, just this once.

* * *

><p>Lunch is quickly crafted and demolished, and then the afternoon stretches out in front of me. I don't need to hang around waiting to hear from Kyon now, and I don't really want to stay cooped up in the house for the rest of the day either; the question is what I actually <em>can<em> do though, since the rain doesn't look like it's going to be giving up any time soon. The only bright spot is that it's at least not as heavy as it was this morning, but it's still not something I want to spend more time in than I can avoid.

That comment about Yuki having called, though... I'm tempted to call Yuki and ask her about it directly, but I decide against it for now; I can always grill Kyon about it tonight, and it'll probably be easier to tell if he's not being honest about it than if I was asking Yuki herself - not that I'd really _expect_ her to lie, but she's really hard to read.

For now, I'll just put the whole thing off - but it still leaves me without something to do for the afternoon. On a whim, I call Mikuru - maybe an afternoon out shopping for costumes will help burn off some of this energy. And at least _she_ hasn't called Kyon!

* * *

><p>"Are we the first ones here?" Mikuru asks as I exit the station and approach her; the Brigade's mascot is standing alone under a frilly pink umbrella, but it's hard to say how long she's been here - the rain is dripping off it, but it's pretty steady at the moment so that wouldn't take long.<p>

"Nope, we're the only ones here!" I reply, giving her a grin. "It's just you and me today, Mikuru-chan - I didn't want to drag the whole Brigade out in the rain, but I figured we could go shopping for new costumes since we've got some time off - it's still official Brigade business!"

"O-oh," is the hesitant reply, Mikuru looking slightly nervous. "Did you have anything particular in mind?"

I stop to think for a minute; I actually _didn't_ have anything specific to look for, just some way to kill some time - and maybe grill Mikuru a little. I still haven't forgotten what happened at Himeji Castle, and after the dream the other night I'm even more curious about what that comment was all about.

"Nah, I didn't have anything particular in mind," I say, shaking my head. "I just didn't want to be cooped up in the house all afternoon, and I figured we could look around. Shopping should keep us out of the rain, at least most of the time."

"Alright," Mikuru replies, seeming to settle down just a little bit. Things fall into a companionable silence from there as we start to head over towards the shopping district.

It's not until we get into the costume boutique and start looking through the racks that I start up again. "So, Mikuru-chan - did you enjoy the trips earlier this week?"

"Oh- yes, it was really interesting getting to see things that have been around for so long," the brunette gushes. "I'm actually kind of interested in history, so it was fun getting to see all those places looking so well-preserved!"

"Good, I was hoping _someone_ got something out of it, at least," I can't help but grumble.

"Ah..." Mikuru winces a bit. "Did... were you upset with the trips?"

"Not that much, really," I reply offhand, then turn my head from looking at the clothing racks so I can see Mikuru out of the corner of my eye. "I've just been to Kyoto way too many times for it to be anything but boring, and Himeji Castle ended up being a real letdown."

She grimaces a bit at that. "Ah- I didn't know you disliked it that much," she says. "Other than the grounds being really confusing, I thought it was pretty nice."

"Well, with everyone being late, we ended up missing most of the guided tour," I grumble, looking sidelong at Mikuru.

She cringes a bit at that. "A-are you still upset about that? I'm really sorry - we just ended up getting lost when we tried to get back!"

"Nah, I'm not really upset - really, if you got lost once, then staying put made more sense than wandering around trying to find me and Yuki." I'm still watching Mikuru more out of the corner of my eye than directly at her, watching for any kind of reaction as I go on. "But it was a little strange - I heard you talking with Koizumi-kun just before we got to you, and it was kind of weird to hear you say you'd been _ordered_ to stay put. _I_ sure didn't give you any orders like that!"

Bingo - she freezes up solid at that. "A-a-aah, you heard that?" she stammers out.

Making sure to hide my smirk, I turn to face her, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow. "Well?"

"I'm- I wasn't- I'm sorry!" she wails. "It wasn't-" Taking a deep breath, still on the verge of tears, she tries again. "I-it's just that when I was little, I was always taught that when you're lost, it's better to stay put than try to find your way to a more familiar... place," she says, eyes watery. That hesitation at the end is a little weird, but the explanation makes sense, at least.

That... I want to push again, but not only did she dodge my original question, she also had to stop in the middle of what she was saying. She's definitely hiding something, but I think if I try to push her any further, she's either going to panic worse or clam up completely - and I don't need to spend the rest of the afternoon annoyed at her for doing either one. Half the reason we're even here is because I'm irritated that I didn't get to talk to Kyon longer - do I really need to make that worse?

So instead, I just give her a half-smile and shake my head. "I didn't say it was a _bad_ thing to do, it just sounded really weird - so no, I'm not mad about that. I'm more disappointed that the whole ghost story thing ended up being a bust - there's no way it could be real if they're running a tourist trap tour for it!"

That seems to calm her a bit, and I shake my head a bit as I go back to focusing on what we're here for. This particular boutique isn't entirely focused on cosplaying, but it does tend to have some actual costumes to look at, and accessories that work well for making your own cosplay outfits.

I can't help but smirk a bit as I pull something off the rack and hold it up for Mikuru to see - a pink leotard and tutu, but definitely child-sized. "What do you think, Mikuru-chan - think you could pull off a ballerina?"

She makes a moue at that. "I _can_ if you want," she allows, although it's pretty clear it's not something she's entirely happy with.

"Nah, I'm not going to make you - looks like a pink puffball," I say with a grin. "Really, though - what kind of costume would you actually like? Everything you've worn so far has just been from ideas I've had."

"I... guess I never really thought about it for myself," Mikuru says, blushing a bit. "I do like the maid costume the best, though."

At that, I can't help but think back to the maid costume that Mikuru was wearing in the dream the other night, and I look away from her. I don't know what possesses me to keep going with it, either - but I do. "So, then... if you like the maid costume, have you ever thought about changing it up, maybe still a maid but with a different look?"

"I'm not sure... what do you mean?" At least now she's just looking puzzled rather than evasive.

"Oh, come on Mikuru-chan - you've got a fantastic body, and with that unreasonably cute face... Don't you ever get tempted to show off what you've got?" I turn to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, sure, I've put you in some sexy costumes before - like the bunny girl - but don't you ever get the urge to do something like that on your own?"

To my complete lack of surprise, Mikuru goes bright red and starts stammering. "I'm- I've- I don't-"

Rather than let her keep babbling, though, I keep going: "Oh, come on - you know it's true, we got a huge crowd when we wore the bunny girl costumes and handed out those flyers at the beginning of the year last year! You've never even thought about doing something like that yourself?"

She shakes her head quickly. "N-no, not like that!"

Interesting way to answer that. "What do you mean, 'like that'? You've thought about it in some other way?"

Mikuru sighs a bit at that, her shoulders slumping. "I do enjoy getting to dress up, but... Well, I've daydreamed about wearing something a bit... sexier, I suppose, but there's no way I could ever do it for real!"

"And why not?" Spotting something on one of the displays towards the back of the store, I grab Mikuru's wrist and pull her along with me as I head towards my target - and on arrival, I jerk the costume off the display and thrust it into her hands. I can't help but grin as her eyes go wide. "You can't imagine serving tea in a French maid outfit?"

"I'm- I..." she splutters briefly, then shakes her head. "Okay, maybe I could _imagine_ doing something like that, but there's no way it would ever go any further than that!"

Hearing her say that, I feel a sense of reassurance for something that up until now, I hadn't even realized was still bothering me - _this_ is the real Mikuru, not that seductress that I dreamed about. She'd never do anything like that, with Kyon or anyone else.

Still, I can't resist giving her a hard time, at least a little bit. "Then if you've thought about it, go try it on!" I grin, nodding at the almost (but not quite) indecent outfit I just handed to her. Seeing her take a breath to start protesting, I set my hands on my hips and smirk at her. "Before you even think about saying no, think about it - we're the only ones here, and it's not like I'm going to actually _get_ it unless you really want it. You should definitely see how you look in it, though!"

Mikuru looks watery-eyed again for a moment, then seems to resign herself to it, heading off to the changing room with the maid uniform in hand. While she's in there, I wait just outside, idly browsing through some of the nearby displays. It's not until I'm checking through the sizes of what look like pieces of vinyl armor that I realize that Mikuru _still_ isn't done changing, and she's not usually that slow about getting dressed - after all, she's usually changing in the clubroom while the guys have to wait outside, so she's gotten good at doing it quickly.

Putting the armor back on the rack, I poke my head into the changing area. "Mikuru-chan! What's the hold-up?"

The answer comes back from inside one of the stalls, behind a closed curtain. "Do I have to come out?"

"Yes, you have to come out!" I retort, scowling a bit. I'm tempted to go in there and drag her out, but I resist. "What's the big deal, anyway? I'm the only one here, and I've seen you wearing a lot less than that!"

She whimpers briefly at that, then comes out of the stall- and I have to admit, she pulls off the look amazingly well. The outfit she's wearing now shows off even more than what I'd dreamed about does! The overall look is totally different, though - Mikuru looks like she's waiting for someone to pounce on her, or maybe for the earth to open up and swallow her, rather than strutting her stuff - which she could definitely do in that uniform.

"That looks _fantastic_, Mikuru-chan!" I grin, pulling out my cell phone camera and snapping a couple of pictures. "I can just imagine the look on everyone's faces if you served tea at one of the Brigade meetings in that!"

From the look on her face - shading from simply red to something incandescent - so can she.

As I snap pictures, though, my smile slips a little; actually, I _can_ imagine the look on Kyon's face if he saw Mikuru dressed like this, and the puddle of drool that'd be on the clubroom table as he stared, too. Still, it's not like he's actually here to do that, and taking it out on Mikuru in either case wouldn't exactly be fair, so I force the grin back onto my face.

"Oh, come on - it's not that bad, is it?" I gesture towards the front of the store. "Just think about it - if you went outside wearing something like that, you could raise your own army of loyal followers! It's like cranking your already high moe level up into a superpower!"

That gets her to react; she darts back into the stall almost before I can blink in surprise. "I don't _want_ an army of people following me!"

That was... surprisingly emphatic, for Mikuru at least. "Why, what's the big deal about that? Sure, I can see not wanting to lead a bunch of guys on, but the point is that with your looks you wouldn't even _have_ to - it's not like you're promising anything with a smile, and half the guys I can think of would trip over themselves trying to make you happy for just that much alone!"

There's a rustling from the stall, then Mikuru emerges, still red-faced. "I don't like it when boys look at me like that," she says quietly, handing the maid uniform back to me.

"Why's it that big a deal?" I wonder. "Okay, sure, having guys slobber over you for your looks... yeah, I can see that being kind of creepy, but if all they care about is a cute face and a nice body, they're idiots anyway and you don't have to care what they think!"

She shudders a bit at that. "It still bothers me," she replies. "I feel like some kind of trophy or prize - it's like they don't even see me as a person, just something to be won."

I can't help but wince a bit at that; that's more or less the exact thing I was thinking when I found her in the first place, but since then... well, it turns out that's not a good way to look at people, and I try not to think of her that way now.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Mikuru-chan!" I announce. "Like I said, the regular idiots that stare aren't worth caring about, and if any of them ever get too creepy or pushy... tell me! You're the SOS Brigade's number one mascot, so you'd better believe we'll watch out for you!"

That earns me a somewhat skeptical look, but she nods anyway - but I have to admit I can understand why, so I continue: "And I'll check with you first before we do any more big mascot events." It's kind of a wrench to let the idea go; using Mikuru's talents to bring in a crowd for Brigade events is still tempting, but if it really bothers her that much I can probably do it myself if we need to.

"That... would be nice," she says hesitantly.

I head back out to the floor to hang the maid costume back up, Mikuru trailing along behind me. The silence is kind of awkward, though, and I'm not sure how to break it - and then Mikuru solves that issue for me. "Um... thanks, for inviting me out," she offers. "It's been kind of quiet the past few days with no activities going on."

I can imagine that; it's been quiet enough for me, and I can't see Mikuru being as eager to go out and do things on her own as I am. "Not a problem!" I reply. "You don't have to wait for me, though - if you want company, give me a call! Or someone - don't just wait at home for things to happen!"

"I- but..." Mikuru stammers. "I wouldn't want to intrude if you're busy, and with you having cancelled the Brigade's trips, I figured you had other plans."

"That doesn't mean you can't call and check anyway, if you've got nothing else to do!" I cajole her, nodding to the clerk as we head out of the store. "The worst that'll happen is that I'd tell you I'm busy with something else - it's not like I'm going to get upset at you just for _asking_. And you could always check in with the others, too!" I glance at her from the corner of my eye as she gets her umbrella back out. "Don't tell me you haven't even thought about calling Kyon while he's been away this week - you've done stuff with him outside the Brigade before!"

That gets her completely flustered; it's cute watching her splutter as she tries to come up with a reply. I don't really think there's anything serious going on between the two of them, but I'd be surprised if she _hadn't_ thought about contacting Kyon, either. "That's- I- It wasn't anything like that, Suzumiya-san!" she finally manages to get out.

"Don't bother," I say with a grin. "I know it wasn't - but you've still thought about calling him, haven't you?"

She flushes at that, then finally nods. "I've... thought about it, yes, but I didn't want to bother him - I didn't know how busy he'd be doing stuff with his family."

I... actually hadn't thought about that when I ordered him to call, but it's not like I told him exactly _when_ he had to call, so he probably did it when he had time - although the call ended up being so short that I didn't get to ask why he waited until lunchtime for it.

"Well, I did get to talk to him earlier today, before I called you - he had an assignment to report on, after all!" I nod emphatically as the two of us head out into the shopping district, the rain having lessened to more of a drizzle. "We didn't get to talk for very long, though - just long enough to hear that his assignment was going well, and then his younger cousin ended up hanging up on me. She sounded like a real handful from what I could pick up over the phone."

Mikuru giggles a bit at that. "If she was anything like his little sister, I can just imagine," she replies. "It's good to know that he's doing well, at least!"

"He sounded fine, yeah - it'll be good to have him back next week, though," I confirm. Mikuru just nods in reply, and I turn to her. "Anyway - we've got more shopping to do - you pick out the next store!"

* * *

><p>After Matsuri's mother had caught the girl running away from the phone and told my cousin that she was grounded for her misbehavior, I looked at my options. I could have called her back, a minute or so later, but if I had somehow made the entire thing up in my head...<p>

What a mistake that was, then! I bet Haruhi's having a laugh at me, admitting I dreamed about her. Still ... judging by last February, she'll keep it to herself when she's not teasing me about it specifically.

Thinking that, I trudge toward the table where my cousins are mostly done eating.

Yurie giggles and trots down the hall toward me from the bedrooms, waving a hand. Her brown hair bobs when she ducks her head, reminding me of a certain middle-school classmate. "Kyon-nii's girlfriend says, tonight is just like last night, and that Kyon-nii was good at following orders," she announces with a quiet giggle.

...wait. Wait!

"How-" I start before she giggles again, waggling a finger at me.

Winking, she remarks only, "Don't let Matsu-chan find out~!" before trotting to rejoin the cousins.

I run a hand through my hair. From the master bedroom, or Uncle Keiichi's office? There's another phone in either of those rooms, so...

I get it, Haruhi.

I can't help but heave a sigh and shake my head. I should be upset that this means Haruhi _has_ found something outside of normal reality to play with ... but I can't really complain. This seems genuinely harmless, and other than her vanishing on me without a warning last night, could actually be fun.

* * *

><p>After another day of doing different chores to get out of babysitting, I realize that with Matsuri being punished, the other cousins are much more subdued. Even though I think I've gotten the important parts down, I do spend some time leafing through techniques to try in the book Haruhi gave me.<p>

After that, I end up going to bed a bit early. All of the rain leaves an unfortunate, gloomy air to the place. Even if the downfall does let up a little around dinner, it's still raining. I listen to the rain on the roof in my room for a bit, thinking that it will be nice to have the sun come out tomorrow.

I don't quite catch the transition, but my reality check breaks me into lucidity, trudging through endless corridors of Aunt Mion's house. Ah- Okay.

Another dream, and I have to find Haruhi again. Or she could find me, I suppose.

Looking around, I go to the nearest door and try it. It's stuck, the wooden frame not sliding in its rails in the slightest. I concentrate for a moment, envisioning the club room, and then the door easily slides open at my touch.

The clubroom is just as I envisioned it, and just like I hoped, Haruhi's waiting inside.

There is the bit of strangeness that the doors are of different types, but being that this is a dream, I think that can pass. I step through and slide the door shut behind me, very pointedly not looking at it. When I glance back, it appears to have reset to its proper state for this room - a door that swings, instead of sliding.

That's not a bad trick; I'm just about to start feeling proud of myself when Haruhi snaps, "God, you're an idiot! Can't even use the door the right way!"

...excuse me? I turn to look at her quizzically. She's dressed as she usually is in her school uniform, her armband reading, 'brigade chief,' in place as always. Her features are sharpened into a scowl, focused on me.

Well - she's probably upset that I didn't call her back again. Did Yurie forget to pass on the message? "I'm here now," I tell her, shrugging. "What did you want to do once we met up again, anyway?"

"Moron," she chides, her glare increasing.

This isn't like you, Haruhi. "What's bothering you?" I ask, starting to get annoyed.

"I have to put up with _you_, for one!" she snaps.

What- I catch myself staring at her, a bit stunned - but... The armband.

I can't really let myself get upset with a fragment of my own dream. "I see," I say, sighing.

"I'm sure you think you do," she says acidly, stomping in front of me. "But I've seen you sneaking off alone with Mikuru-chan, Yuki, _and_ Koizumi-kun!"

That last actually gets me to snort in surprise. Really? I mean, I _have_ gone off to speak with Koizumi and the others in private, but-

"I know who you've been dreaming about!" she yells, raising a fist.

I reflexively grab it before she can swing a blow toward my chest. "Calm down," I chide her. "You're not the real Haruhi, just a dream."

Her eyes widen and her expression becomes startled- There's a sensation of a surge of water or something bursting out from behind me and passing through the room. I'm almost staggered, and Haruhi seems to feel it as well. Once it passes, nothing looks visibly different in terms of our surroundings, but Haruhi has shifted - I'm holding her hand, not her wrist, somehow.

Her expression shows that incredibly rare soft smile she has when she's happy for her friends, and her cheeks are pink, her eyes not meeting mine. "Ah, um, Kyon-kun," she giggles. "So bold!"

...I think I get what Haruhi was really talking about when she said 'fake Kyons,' now. I let go of her hand and belatedly mumble an apology- Even if she's just a dream fragment...

I back away, but she just immediately follows me - coming closer, in fact, putting her hands on my shoulders and tilting her head back to look up at me in expectation. "H...hey!" she protests, still smiling. "You can't just lead a girl on and quit like that~! Come on, Kyon-kun~!"

Yeah, I really can't afford to be caught by the real Haruhi like this- Though I'm sure she'd love it!

"Hey, hey, do you want me to put on my bunny costume?" she prompts, moving even closer. "I'll let you watch me change~!"

"Uh- Yeah, sure," I agree, looking around for a distraction, or- Ah, got it!

She lets go of me to to go to the costume rack, and I hurry to the door, thinking of another clubroom - this one empty. Behind me, I can hear that dream Haruhi humming happily, and the rustle of cloth- Oh, boy! I'd better not think about that too hard.

"Hey-" she starts, before I dash out of the clubroom, and into ... another clubroom, closing the door behind me and leaning against it.

The Haruhi in _this_ room looks a little disconcerted, all but her face hidden behind the computer monitor. "That voice sounded _really_ familiar," she muses, brow furrowed.

"Yeah," I agree, almost choking as she stands and I can see her fully.

Instead of a bunny costume, this one is wearing a French maid outfit with a much shorter skirt, and a neckline that shows off probably just as much anyway! I manage to tear my eyes from her legs and stare in astonishment at the armband she's got on - this one reads 'Legendary Dreamer,' again.

"Hey!" I hear quietly through the door I had closed. "Kyon-kun!"

Haruhi raises both eyebrows at me, and I rush back over, thinking of the place I put it last time. I open the door before that dream Haruhi can barge in, revealing the same hilltop in Hinamizawa.

Well, the same except for the rain, anyway.

Haruhi seems to be hiding a smirk, but steps to the edge of the doorway, next to me. I can't help but wonder ... and the real Haruhi would have a better answer anyway, so I ask, "What's up with that costume, anyway?"

"Huh?" she responds, looking down. Her face freezes for a moment, before she looks up, her eyes bright. "I-it's a dream, anyway! Why _not_ dress up and live a little? We can have fun in any outfits we want, right? You're just being super-boring, wearing your school uniform again!"

I can't help but sigh; this does sound like Haruhi.

"Hey, what's with that? Anyway - pick something more exciting, already!" She puts her hands on her hips and fixes me with a stern look, leaning closer to me.

Haruhi, I think you don't realize what happens when you do that in such an outfit!

"What are you staring at, anyway?"

"Er, the armband," I say quickly, looking up at the ceiling and thinking.

"Really..." she muses, sounding amused, and less than completely convinced.

What I really need is a change of subject, but there's a natural one. I was worried about her most of the day, so ask, "What happened to you last night, anyway? You just vanished on me, you know."

She looks briefly startled, then raises her eyebrows, standing up straight and distracting me slightly less. "Eh ... sometimes if you push the dream too hard, it breaks and you fall out," she grumbles, shaking her head. "Anyway, do you want me to pick an outfit _for_ you again?" she says, sounding amused.

All that comes to mind is a costume from an old video game that sticks with me. I hope that does it!

I feel my clothing shift, and look down. Instead of the school uniform, I'm wearing a loose, comfortable suit in similar colors, without the Kitago emblem on it. There's an ornate sword at my hip, and a red cape hanging from my shoulders. Just like in the video game, it wavers behind me even without wind.

"That," Haruhi says, masking a smirk, "is so silly it's actually kind of cool." She shakes her head abruptly and gestures out to the rainy dreamscape. "Going to show me around more? Not in the rain, I hope!"

"Hmm," I hum, not entirely sure. I concentrate on what I want to see - the clouds rolling back and the sun coming out. Just as I wanted, the clouds almost immediately blow away - though, there's a curiously elastic sensation in my mind, as if I were pushing at them and they very softly pushed back.

Still, I step out and check the clear sky, the shining sun... It seems alright. Haruhi steps through after me, looking around again. I can't help but be distracted by that outfit a bit, and the skies darken.

When I look up, the sun is already gone, and the clouds have rushed back in.

"Smooth," Haruhi opines, unhesitatingly reaching behind herself and pulling out an umbrella, giving me a cool, amused gaze.

"Sorry," I sigh. "All of this rain is getting to me."

"That's fine- You already showed me almost everything here," she says breezily. "Now, I want you to show me something amazing!"

Talk about pressure! I can't think of anything off the top of my head like that, anyway. The best I can do after a minute of rain hitting me and not getting wet, is borrow from books or video games. Movies, too, but Haruhi's managed to watch almost all of the movies I've seen lately with me, so I can't see anything from that being 'amazing' to her.

Well, why should I show her something, if she's better at this than I am?

"Why don't you tell me what you and the Brigade have been up to?" I ask, shaking my head. "You're still exploring things nearby, right?"

"Eh, yeah," she says with a shrug. "Well, time for a change of scene, then, huh? Let me show you!"

She marches to my side and thrusts the umbrella into one of my hands, grabbing the other. With her free hand, she reaches out and- Whoa!

I watch the backdrop of Hinamizawa fold up like a turning page, leaving us standing in one of the bright, empty entrances to Himeji Castle's labyrinth. I recognize it from a long ago field-trip, but in the dream, it seems more simplified in a lot of ways. When I focus, detail sharpens - an indistinct stone wall becomes a series of stacked stones with mortar between them, but if I'm not looking directly at it, it seems to blur.

Haruhi plucks the umbrella from my hand and tosses it away, releasing me and looking satisfied with herself. "So, we checked out Himeji," she says with a shrug. "Oh- Hey, why don't we go to check out Okiku's well?"

"Alright," I allow, still a bit surprised. She gestures me to follow and I fall into step behind her, trying to fight off the sense of a forming headache. Right away, the place looks like even more a maze than I remember. Haruhi looks annoyed after a handful of turns. The place feels like an immense, imposing labyrinth, that's for certain.

"Do you know the way?" I ask.

"I- It's changing on me," she answers, frustrated. "I remembered the clear route that Yuki showed me, but it's not working this time!" She shakes her head. "Never mind - I'll just take you straight there!" She reaches for my hand, and something occurs to me. So, this is the dreamscape she made, and the other one was the one I made. So...

"Let's try something," I suggest, pointing to a nearby door.

"What's that?" she wonders, her hand dropping to her side.

Haruhi's dream of Himeji is probably more imposing than the real thing. The scale is impressive, but the imprecise details... Actually, that's just like Haruhi, isn't it? I try to imagine my own version of the place, as I recall from when I was there before - but then I imagine it merging with Haruhi's, and waiting for us beyond that door.

She looks about to speak when I decide I'm ready and open the door. The view through the other side seems more detailed, but surprisingly, isn't exactly as I envisioned. It's much more majestic and imposing - and the castle already was pretty impressive.

Haruhi sounds pleased as she steps through before me, looking around. We're at the same entrance we started in, before getting lost. "So, this is your version?" she asks.

I step through and close the door, frowning. "I wanted to put together both of our impressions of Himeji," I answer.

"I like the level of detail," she approves. "And I suppose from here, the maze won't shift around on us?"

No guarantees on that. This is a dream, and the book said things like patterns could be inconsistent. "Hopefully," I say, shrugging. I fall silent, not quite sure what to say when I catch a figure moving on the rooftops of the labyrinth walls. It... It looks like Asahina-san, wearing the same outfit that _Haruhi_ is, carrying what looks like a brown leather attache case, a look of intent concentration on her face as she dashes, ninja-like on the sloped peak.

Haruhi looks inexplicably annoyed, then shakes her head as that strange Asahina-san vanishes from view with one final action-movie leap across a wide gap. She comes down out of our line of sight, and I'm entirely clueless as to what to make of the entire thing. Looking back, while the outfit was revealing, somehow, it wasn't as appealing without her normal expression; with that face, somehow I couldn't pay much attention to her body at all.

Really, Haruhi looks better in the same outfit - not that I'd say that to her!

"Ugh," she grumbles, shaking her head.

I don't say anything, just trying the route I distantly remember. It was a pattern of left and right turns, wasn't it? Haruhi falls into step at my side, looking around.

"You're good at the details," she acquiesces. "And it doesn't feel like the maze is shifting- So that means you've been here before?"

"In middle school, yeah," I agree. "For a field trip. I wanted to try and impress a classmate, so I tried to memorize the route before we went."

"Impress a classmate?" Haruhi asks sharply, looking at me from the corners of her eyes. "So- What was her name?"

Ouch! This isn't the kind of thing we usually talk about, is it? Well... "Okamoto-san."

She starts at that, looking a bit surprised, but the sharpness fades from her expression, and she merely looks thoughtful. "So you learned the route for her, huh?"

"No," I sigh. "I screwed up and got terribly lost, because my map had errors. Another classmate had the same idea, but just memorized the turns. I remember that much, at least." Sasaki always was good at things like that.

"Huh," she muses.

It takes surprisingly little time to clear the labyrinth, but as we do, a shadow passes over us. I _really_ don't know what to make of that same Asahina-san-like figure executing a perfect, flipping jump between the walls of the labyrinth, attache-case still in hand.

"That's been on my mind a lot lately," Haruhi grumbles, looking at where that strange version of Asahina-san vanished as we enter the small courtyard beyond the gatehouse. "I guess just like you couldn't get the rain out of your head, I can't get that out of mine!"

"Asahina-san in that outfit?" I say, before catching myself.

She gives me a slightly annoyed look. "Her as some kind of super-spy," she clarifies, hands on her hips. "I heard Mikuru-chan make some remark about 'orders' to Koizumi-kun. She gave me some excuse about how it was what her parents told her to do when she was little, but I didn't really push," Haruhi huffs. "She was shaking like a leaf when I wanted to know more, so I let it slide for a bit." She glances at me, and I must have let some alarm show on my face.

It takes absolutely no time at all for her to be standing directly before me, her face in mine as her scowl sharpens. "That face," she growls. "You know something about this!"

I must be that obvious ... but I've been terrible about hiding things from Haruhi pretty much always. That letter to Nagato from Nakamura, that final page of the story I had to write about 'romance'- I stop paying attention to Himeji Castle and look away, unable to handle the intensity of her gaze.

_Now_ what? I can try to lie, but I've never been gifted at that, and I know Haruhi wouldn't buy it. If I say nothing-

"If you don't open up, I'll _really_ grill Mikuru-chan," she warns.

...if I say nothing, that will happen.

Her grin tells me that she knows I can't stand up to that kind of threat, and she knows full-well she won't need to follow through. "What did Asahina-san tell you, then?" I ask, trying to figure out where to even _start_ on this whole mess.

"Almost nothing," she answers, shaking her head and stepping back a tiny distance, her satisfaction visible. "She was so nervous, I didn't have the heart to push her. I wonder what weighs on her so heavily? She's a member of the Brigade, so I'd look out for her ... but I don't know what the problem is. But you do! So _spill_!"

Her expression sours at my dumbfounded stare.

"Well?" she demands expectantly.

"Just- Hold on a moment," I say, shaking my head slowly. "It's ... complicated, and you're asking me to give up information that I was told in confidence."

"So she trusts you more than me?" is Haruhi's immediate, irate response. Her eyebrows draw closer together, and she crosses her arms, which has an interesting effect in that outfit. Not a distraction I need right _now_ of all times! She doesn't seem to realize this, just raising an eyebrow and tapping one foot impatiently.

"It's really complicated," I mumble hopelessly, bowing my head. "I- I think it would be great if you found out and could help Asahina-san with her problem, but if I tell you, then wouldn't she stop trusting me?"

"That's a _crappy_ excuse!" she snaps. "If it's really serious, why _wouldn't_ you tell me?"

I am suddenly reminded of my promise to Nagato last December. I'd tell Haruhi the truth to save our alien friend - why wouldn't I do the same for Asahina-san or Koizumi, if they needed it, too? Come to think of it ... she very well may find out _anyway_. As perceptive as she is, and as terrible as I am at lying...

In that light, though it's a frightening prospect, it'd be better if she were to be told sooner than later. I can only imagine how upset she'd be at the idea- No ... not the _idea_. The _fact_ of her Brigade hiding the truth from her.

I realize I'm taking too long to reply, but she seems to see that I'm wrestling with this, and just waits, staring at me expectantly.

She's already come this far - made it so we can meet in dreams. How long before she figures it out on her own? How poorly will she think of me - of _us_ - if she puzzles it out and feels betrayed? I'd like to think that she'd be forgiving, but the prospect is not a lighthearted one.

How can she just stand there looking like she's straight out of some idol singer's photo-op, risque outfit and all, while such ominous thoughts suddenly loom? I can't help it; I realize it's my fault when the rainclouds suddenly fill the sky overhead. We both shelter under the nearest gatehouse, but judging by her expression, her patience is running out. I know if I leave her be, she's going to come to a boil - and that's not going to help the situation at all!

Realistically, at this rate, I don't feel I have a choice except to start trying to tell her the truth. The last time I did it, I was rejected outright. Now, I suspect she'd believe me - or at least give me _some_ credence. But then, couldn't I also be considered to be betraying my friends by giving up their secrets?

"I'm in an awkward spot," I tell her honestly. "I'm not going to lie to you, but there's some questions I just can't answer without breaking promises I've made to our friends."

She's mildly taken aback. "So it's not just Mikuru-chan?" she muses, still locking her sharp gaze on my eyes. "Koizumi-kun, too then- That explains that conversation! This has something to do with his part-time job? That he's always whispering about with you - trying to get you to join him, right?"

...she's sharp, so I'd better be careful with this.

She shakes her head abruptly, planting her hands on her hips. "Well?" she presses, as I hear distant thunder, though there are no visible flashes of lightning, yet.

"I...it's complicated," I say, feeling somehow very small before her- I shake my head at the realization that I'm looking _up_ at her face. I need to get a grip!

She looks more surprised than upset as I pace away, trying to put my thoughts together - and keep the castle around me from getting larger and larger. I'm almost the height of the hem of her skirt before I fit things together and it all stops. That alone tells me that I must be on the right track, here.

"L-look, I want to help you, but how can I do that without saying things I shouldn't? So- So let me give you small clues, alright?"

"Turning this into some kind of game?" she asks skeptically, eyebrows rising as she sinks to a crouch, bringing her face closer to mine. "I don't think this is very funny!" Her glare is like the searing gaze of Ra, making me feel like an abandoned desert traveler, not someone trapped in an archway to take cover from the rain!

"I don't either!" I return miserably. "Asahina-san ... may not be able to tell you much- And it's not her fault! I..." What a stupid thing to say - who knows what Haruhi's going to think of that? "Just- She could use a friend, Haruhi, more than anything else."

She looks dissatisfied with that. "So, don't press her, and be her friend? That hasn't gotten me very far yet!"

That's ... fair. Haruhi does look out for Asahina-san much more than she used to. How do I handle this, anyway? Or, maybe I'm trying to rely on the wrong person, here. Koizumi may not be able to answer because of his superiors. Asahina-san almost _certainly_ can't because of hers. But Nagato...

"Nagato might be able to help you, if you can figure out the right questions," I offer, wincing at how cryptic that sounds and watching Haruhi and the surrounding castle grow larger briefly. Now I'm only about the height of her chest, even with her crouching before me.

"Okay, okay," she says, shaking her head quickly. "Just- Stop doing that!"

It's not like I'm enjoying it, Haruhi! "I'll try," I agree.

She looks irritated, though I'm not sure if it's at me or the whole situation. She stands up, prompting me to stagger back a handful of steps. From this height, while she doesn't look _scary_, and she's properly scaled to our suroundings - she's _huge_!

"Anyway," she says with a sigh, her eyes fixed on me, "you'd better know that lucid dreaming isn't very restful - so if we do this every night, you're going to be too exhausted to keep up with your cousins. So - tomorrow night, you can sleep. I'll see you the night after, instead."

I'm still in a state of shock at the realization of how much larger than me she is right now, barely registering her words; I can't even manage to form a reply before my thoughts are interrupted by a booming, cheerful voice.

"Kyon-nii~! Wake up~!" the voice thunders from the sky.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything-" Haruhi looks down, her words cutting off as her face starts to flush crimson-

And at that point, I find myself blinking awake, staring up at Yurie's bright face. What a transition!

"It's mo~orning," the young girl cheers. "Mama said I should wake you up for a change of pace, and Matsu-chan's not allowed to for the rest of your vacation!"

...I'm not sure if I should be happier for that, or how reasonable Haruhi was. Then again, maybe all of the dream metaphors... In a way, maybe this connection Haruhi created for us to share will let us earnestly communicate with one another - a sort of mental Rosetta Stone!

If I trust in the rest of the Brigade, I should trust in her, too.


	5. Oriab Under Ngranek

In Your Dreams - Chapter Five

Oriab Under Ngranek

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>I barely have time to register Kyon's eyes going wider at my expression - although given how much he was staring to begin with, that's quite a trick in itself - before he disappears; he must have woken up - or maybe someone else woke him up, since he vanishes so fast.<p>

I can't say I do much better, though; I can feel the blood rushing to my face - he was staring _straight up my skirt_ for how long? - and then, abruptly, I'm staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom, feeling like my face is literally on fire. Even with no one else in my room - hell, no one else in the entire _house_ - and being fully clothed in my pajamas, I can't resist pulling the sheets up to my nose and trying to hide from the overflow of embarrassment.

I... guess I can't really blame Kyon for it, not entirely; while I'll admit he was the one that shrunk down like that, it was pretty obvious that he wasn't doing it for some perverted reason. And _I_ was the one that was still wearing that French maid outfit, entirely by choice! I wasn't really paying attention to what I was wearing when I got into the dream, and with Mikuru having been on my mind all day, it's not really surprising that I'd think of it - or of myself in it. The stunned expression on Kyon's face when he saw me, though...

I pull the sheets down and let my arms flop down at my sides as I sigh, watching the light slowly growing outside. I could try to make excuses about why I didn't change out of it, but let's face facts here, Suzumiya: you actually kind of like it when Kyon looks at you like that. It's annoying to see him staring at Mikuru, true, but kind of gratifying to see that I can have that same kind of effect on him. Obviously I'm not going to try doing a striptease or something for him - where's the fun in just giving it all away? - but it's fun as hell to tease him with it, and I can't help but see it as a kind of compliment - that he thinks I look good enough to just stop and stare at me. I know him well enough by now to know that he doesn't stick around just because of my looks, but it's nice to see that he appreciates that about me, too.

Part of it was watching him shrink, too. It was kind of weird, actually; the more flustered he got, the more he shrank, and I have to admit it was pretty cool and amazing to watch - and I'm pretty sure he didn't even mean to do it! It was almost enough to snap me out of being irritated about him fumbling around for something to say about Mikuru and Koizumi - _almost_. Thinking about it a little more, though, it's actually worrying me a bit; even just hearing how hesitant he was to say something in the first place got me concerned, although letting him see that would have taken all the pressure off for him to actually give me an answer.

Imagining what it must have been like for him - me as some kind of angry giant, looming over him and demanding answers... and he _still_ felt like he couldn't give me more than a hint? What's so important about Mikuru's secret that he'd stand up even to someone three or four times his size to hold on to it? It's not like I would have actually done anything to him, but just trying to picture myself in such a situation, even with someone I trust as much as Kyon... yeah, I'd definitely be more than a little nervous!

I can respect that if it's something she told him in confidence that he wouldn't want to betray her trust - in a way, that actually makes me trust him even more, that he'd hold a secret so well - but it still ticks me off that the two of them would be keeping secrets behind my back like that! At least he gave me somewhere to start - although 'ask Yuki the right questions' isn't much help by itself. So I know who to talk to, great, but what are the right questions? 'What is Mikuru-chan's secret and why won't Kyon tell me' doesn't seem like it's going to get me very far, since I imagine if she knows she's been sworn to secrecy just as much as he has - and I can't see Yuki blabbing something like that any more than Kyon would.

Why direct me to her at all, then? I let out a sharp sigh, then climb out of bed to stretch a bit as I think about it. Obviously she can tell me something that Kyon can't, or he thinks she can give me some kind of help that he can't for some reason. I can kind of see the latter more, at least for the moment; she's actually a lot less difficult to get in touch with until he gets back, which... actually, I should have asked him about that.

School starts back up on Monday, so I guess his family would probably be headed back either tomorrow or Sunday - maybe we _won't_ get to meet up on Sunday night, then? If he's tired out from traveling, he might not end up in a lucid dream, even if he does spend tonight resting.

I head downstairs to start getting some breakfast together, frowning a little. It's a little disappointing to realize that I probably won't hear from him again until we get back to school next week, but since I'm not going to try to dream tonight myself, there's not much I can do short of trying to call him - and given what just happened before we parted ways this morning, some time to compose myself before I talk to him again wouldn't go amiss anyway.

I could definitely apply the thumbscrews the next time I see him for what he was staring at, but that's too much like one of those stupid tsundere anime stereotypes - I'm definitely going to confront it head on, but why yell at him for it when I'm not really that upset about it? And if I want to tease him about it, talk about mixed messages - I'd just be shooting myself in the foot if I get mad at him for looking and then turn around and -try- to get him to look.

With a shake of my head, I dismiss the entire line of thought. I could probably spend half the day thinking about ways to drive Kyon nuts - in both good and bad ways - but he did at least give me a direction for getting started. And I still haven't asked anyone about Yuki calling Kyon earlier this week, so it'll be a good opportunity to find out what _that_ was all about, too!

* * *

><p>"Thanks for coming over, Yuki - sorry to call you on such short notice." I close the door behind my guest, although I find it a little hard to meet her eyes just yet. It's a little weird to be tongue-tied around Yuki, of all people; she's always been quiet herself, and if I don't actually start talking we're probably just going to wind up staring at each other all afternoon - which <em>she<em> probably wouldn't care about but even the idea of it kind of weirds me out.

I consider trying to make small talk about how she's doing while she puts on house slippers and folds up her umbrella, but I decide against it. Knowing Yuki, she's going to give me either one-word answers or a polite expression and nothing else, and... honestly? Small talk like that is pretty stupid anyway.

So instead, I get her settled down in the living room while I go get some rice crackers and tea. I'll freely acknowledge that Mikuru's better at making tea than I am, but I'm not bad. It's something to occupy my attention for a few minutes, at least, but it doesn't take very long, and then it's just me and Yuki.

The silence is... strange. Not really in a bad way, but even without Yuki saying anything it's sort of like I can tell she's curious, mostly waiting for me to explain why she's here. I'll admit, I haven't always paid that much attention to Yuki - she seems to be really good at fading into the background when she wants to - but even with that, it's possible to read her. I won't say it's easy, but it can definitely be done.

We both have a few crackers - on my part, just because I need something to do to get my thoughts in order - before I start in. "So... I heard that you called Kyon earlier this week, is that right?"

A single nod is the only reply I get - not that I really expected much else.

"Why?" And really, given who I'm talking to, that's a bigger question than it appears to be. This is Yuki - she doesn't do conversation for no reason, and doesn't appear to be disturbed at all by things being quiet. So what would motivate her enough to actually call Kyon on her own?

It takes her a minute to answer; she actually looks somewhat troubled. "I was concerned for his safety," comes the reply. "Environmental conditions in his area have been dangerous."

I raise an eyebrow at that. "Dangerous? He mentioned that it's been raining a lot, but how is that dangerous?"

She sips at her tea again before answering. "Mudslides and flooding. Both have been reported in northern Japan during this week."

"Really? That's- wait." I stop to consider for just a moment. "Actually, yeah - I do remember hearing something like that on the news a couple of days ago, but it didn't really say where it was happening. All I heard from Kyon is that it's just been raining all week and he's been stuck watching his cousins."

Yuki doesn't say anything to that, although that's fine; I rest my teacup on my knee, feeling the heat soak through my skirt before I continue. "Well, I guess that's good." I'm finding it hard to look her in the eyes for this, though; maybe because - like I did with Kyon - I'm asking Yuki to give up other people's secrets. "So... Kyon said you might be able to help me with something that's been bothering me."

That gets me a slightly curious air - I can't even say that her expression really changes, but there's more of a sense of expectation in the room now. I half wonder if it's some kind of empathy or telepathy, but that's more wishful thinking than anything.

"So... you remember when we were at Himeji Castle, and when we finally found Mikuru-chan and Koizumi-kun?" Pausing only long enough to get the nod of acknowledgement I'm expecting, I push on. "Anyway, right before we got back to them, Mikuru-chan said she'd been ordered to wait where she was. I asked her about it later, and she made some excuse about it being what her parents told her when she was little and got lost, but it didn't sound all that convincing."

And that's where things start to go a little weird. I expected her to remain as impassive as ever, but at that point I saw something strange - Yuki actually starting to grimace slightly. I scowl a bit, but she doesn't actually say anything so I go on. "Anyway, Kyon pretty much confirmed that she's got some kind of secret - and Koizumi-kun too! - but that he couldn't tell me directly what it was, so I should talk to you about it."

Whatever's going on with her, though, it doesn't appear to be related to my question; she closes her eyes and lowers her face, a hand going to the side of her head - I don't like the looks of this!

"What's wrong, Yuki?" I frown.

"...headache," comes the reply a moment later, her voice even quieter than usual. "Apologies."

...really? Awfully convenient timing for a headache!

But, in thinking a bit more, I have to wonder. I've never seen Yuki skip school sick or miss an event, other than the one time where it was just me and Kyon on a city search; the only time I can remember her getting sick- well, I'm not even sure how much of that whole mansion in the snow thing was even _real_. She's always seemed really stoic - so if it's bad enough for her to show that she's hurting, I'm guessing it must be pretty severe.

With that in mind, I push my irritation aside; if Yuki's having trouble, I should take care of her. It's not like she can just fall back on this every time I ask - and I _will_ ask again later - so for now, looking after her takes precedence.

"You don't look so good," I say with a frown. "Come on, let's get you somewhere to lie down."

The next half hour is spent getting Yuki taken care of. The first order of business is getting her to lie down; I put her in my dad's recliner and get her a cool washcloth to put on her forehead. It seems to help, or at least she seems to be dealing with it better. I finally settle back on the couch myself, blowing out a sigh, when Yuki breaks the silence on her own.

"...thank you," comes her quiet acknowledgement.

"Don't you even thank me!" I retort, although I keep my voice from getting too loud. "I'm the SOS Brigade's chief, it's my responsibility to take care of the Brigade members! If you're not feeling well, of course I'm going to help you!"

That earns me the faintest smile I think I've ever seen, but from Yuki it's as good as a grin. "Understood." She takes the cloth from her head, setting it carefully on the end table next to the chair.

"Do you need to stay here for a while, or would you like help getting home?" I prompt. "If you want to stay that's fine, but I know it's better to be in familiar surroundings if you're not feeling well."

"I will be fine by myself," Yuki replies, getting up slowly. She does look better, at least, but it's clear she's not at a hundred percent either.

"Don't push yourself, at least," I shoot back, giving her a critical look. "You're hereby assigned to report in later tonight, and if you're not feeling better, you will be treated to soup for dinner!"

She simply nods at that, although more slowly than usual - understandable, if she's got a headache. I try not to fuss over her too much as we head up to the front door; it's not until she's getting her shoes back on that she finally speaks again - and this time she's the one that's not meeting _my_ eyes.

"Regarding Asahina Mikuru and Koizumi Itsuki..." she starts, sounding slightly hesitant. "Observe closely."

I blink in surprise - I didn't even realize that she still remembered my question, or if she had, that she'd even try to answer it. "Observe what?"

"Observe them," she clarifies slightly. "I... cannot say much, but observation should allow you to discover more information about them."

That's a little irritating... but only a little. If she's in on the other two's secret, it makes sense that she'd be like Kyon - she wouldn't want to breach their trust by blabbing it to me, but that... it sounds like she's telling me that it's possible for me to figure it out on my own, if I get more information.

"I'll do that," I affirm. "For now, though, you worry about getting home and resting up! Call me if you need any help!"

"Acknowledged," is the quiet reply, Yuki dipping her head briefly before departing.

I'll admit, that's not much more to go on than what Kyon gave me... but again, at least it's a direction to start in.

* * *

><p>For a few brief moments after waking up, the sound of the rain finally lets up- I would have thought it would stop overnight, but after rubbing the sleep from my eyes and going through the morning routine, it hadn't.<p>

The skies are lightly overcast with clouds that have shed their burdens, like vacationers themselves finally comfortable in a new setting. The downpour actually even lets up in stuttering bursts from breakfast until lunch.

Before the cousins can even start to make seriously determined noises about going out to play, however, a new storm-front appears, lining the horizon like the looming reminder that vacation is about to end. They sweep in far faster than I would have expected, leaving my aunts and uncles annoyed and grousing.

Most of them, anyway. Aunt Rika stands on the porch beneath the lining of teruterubozu that has been pinned there over the last few days, pursing her lips and staring at the oncoming clouds with an unreadable look. Strangely enough, it reminds me of nothing so much as Nagato's stare at times - though she says nothing until the next wave of water actually hits.

When a renewed surge strikes, she finally grumbles her own quietly irritated, "More rain, saaa, saaa!" After that she comes back inside and declares that it is time to bake cookies, which occupies my cousins.

Feeling somewhat restless, I turn to my uncle Keiichi to see if there's something else to be done. So bored I'm looking for chores on my own! Of course, my aunts think it's too unreasonable outside for any of the chores I haven't already taken care of, and Uncle Keiichi is distracted by the weather.

How sad is it to spend your vacation like this? If I'd put off doing my Golden Week homework, I'd at least have that to focus on, but as it is, there's nothing, so I find myself playing games with my cousins again after all. This does distract Matsuri, so I suppose in a way I am still making myself useful.

I can try and tell myself that I'd probably be doing this even if the weather weren't so gloomy, but it's a small consolation.

An opportunity to do something else doesn't arise until Aunt Rika decides that she's going to get some supplies from her home near the shrine, because of how close it is to the river. After a brief car ride down to her place, I find myself helping pile spare bedding into a basket, while she's packing up extra clothes for Matsuri and Shutaro.

While the uncles are elsewhere, I'm a bit surprised when she breaks off humming softly and asks, "Is Kyon-kun missing his friends?"

Well ... I'm not missing Haruhi as much as I could, since I'm meeting her in my dreams, but I don't think that's the kind of thing you should tell your aunt! I wouldn't be surprised if I did, and then I found myself being exorcised!

What's weighing on my mind more is how much Haruhi might have puzzled out since I spoke to her last. If I were more confident, I might try calling her and ask, but I'm still a bit scared, despite my resolve. Considering how sharp she usually is, and how quickly she unravelled the mystery that Koizumi put together last winter, I can't help but worry about that!

Worse, I'm not supposed to meet up with her tonight, so I wouldn't be able to check in on her progress.

Still, being entirely honest, I answer, "I wouldn't mind seeing my friends again soon."

"It's easier for Nono-chan," Rika sympathizes, patting me on the head like a smaller child. "And Matsu-chan isn't helping, is she?"

"She's been better since yesterday," I say, unable to really complain. She is just a little girl, still." Younger than my sister, in fact.

Aunt Rika gives me a sympathetic look, tucking one final shirt into a bag. "Even so," she muses. "But! Soon, Kyon-kun will go home and can see them again! Won't that be nice?"

"I can't say it like I don't enjoy visiting my family," I say, shaking my head. "I mean, even if Matsuri can be trouble, it's not that bad. I guess the weather's got me down a bit, is all."

It's certainly not something that I can escape from. If it followed me into my dreams last night, I expect I'll have to look forward to more of the same tonight, too.

"Friendship is important," she says solemnly, even though I can see the hints of a smile in her eyes. "I'm sorry Kyon-kun has to be away from his friends. Even if they aren't close, keep them in your heart, doki doki!"

I manage a chuckle at her 'heartbeat' noise... Isn't that more like the pounding heart of a romance manga, Aunt Rika? I'd better not ask for clarification; I'm not sure I want to know what she thinks about that - but given Matsuri complaining, I suddenly realize what she probably thinks is going on!

"I...it's not like that!" I protest, shaking my head quickly.

Aunt Rika's smile appears, and she gives a quiet giggle, shaking her head. "I'm just glad that Kyon-kun isn't heartbroken over his beloved 'nee-chan'!" she teases me.

This is somehow more embarassing than shrinking in front of Haruhi in our dream!

She doesn't say anything else, just looking distracted for the rest of the trip back. Thinking about it, I suppose it has been a while since I've thought of the girl I called 'nee-chan.' More and more, aren't I really thinking of someone else?

Given all of my effort towards trying to admit other things to... Well, maybe this is something I should put some thought into, as well.

* * *

><p>Reality checking is almost an afterthought tonight, so I'm actually mildly surprised to discover that I'm in control of my dream again. Remembering what I told Kyon about getting regular sleep last night, though, I decide to take it easy; I'm not sure if it's possible to drop back from a lucid dream into normal sleep, unfortunately, so I decide to just relax.<p>

Kyon shouldn't be around tonight anyway, so I figure I can have fun however I want to. For the first time, I actually stop to admire the place I find myself dreaming; I'm in what looks like an old Greek temple - what springs to mind is what I imagine the inside of the Parthenon would look like when it was new. True to form, though, the landscape outside is more surreal; the area outside appears to be underwater, although it doesn't feel like I'm moving through water in here, and the fish are all outside as well. Maybe I'm in Atlantis?

It's fun in a strange sort of way, though, so I'll leave it for now; what's more interesting is what I can do with the inside. It's pretty plain at the moment - lots of marble columns and benches, but no people, no decorations, nothing other than a few generic-looking carvings. The first step is definitely something to relax _in_; a moment's thought produces a plush chaise longue upholstered in red velvet. It looks a little out of place in an ancient palace like this, but in the end... It's a dream, what does it matter?

Without a moment's further thought I throw myself down on it - it's soft enough that I actually feel like I'm sinking into it a little. I take a minute to enjoy the sensation, then consider for a moment. It's comfortable, yes, but a little boring; there's no people, no noise, nothing but the fish drifting by outside. That's no good, so I decide to try practicing something new: making people that do what I want them to, rather than just acting the way I think they should.

The first target is simple enough; even though it was Yuki I went to talk to, she's the one that's been on my mind all day, and so it doesn't take any time at all to make a copy of Mikuru. In deference to the setting, she's wearing a white silk toga, a couple of gold bracelets, and not much else, and she's got a bowl of grapes in her hands. Without me even having to ask, she kneels demurely next to the couch I'm on and waits; all I have to do is open my mouth and she gets the picture, feeding me one of the grapes.

I can't help but grin at that. If she's good at taking orders, she can take them from me too! And besides which, this is only a dream anyway; it's not like I'd force the real Mikuru to do this, or she'd do it without being on the verge of tears the whole time. I have to admit, though, the toga is a good look for her, if a little bit on the skimpy side; something to consider for a special Brigade event in the real world, maybe?

Anyway, this is setting up a theme; I figure I'll go the whole way with it. Changing my outfit is almost effortless; my toga is almost identical to Mikuru's now, and while it's comfortable, it's a little... breezy. Setting the thought aside for now, I start to add in the other Brigade members.

Yuki gets set up in the opposite corner of the room, playing a full-size harp; I can't help but give her something relaxing, after seeing her with that headache earlier today. She called back later to say she was feeling much better, though, so I'm not too worried about her.

Koizumi gets a toga as well, and stands by the doorway to this part of the temple - if I'm going to set up the role, I might as well do it right, and so he can bring me anything else I want from here. He's usually there to back me up anyway, so he might as well stick to the job he's good at.

Kyon, though... well, he's the Brigade's grunt labor, so it's only appropriate to have him bare-chested and wearing a loincloth, waving a giant palm leaf at me as a fan. He might be a bit more tan and muscled than from last summer's break, but I don't see a problem with that; I deserve to have some eye candy, too, if I'm just here to enjoy my dream - he's certainly gotten his fair share!

A beautiful servant girl, relaxing music, someone to cater to my every whim, and a great view - this is all basically perfect! I think I can sit back and enjoy this dream for now. I can't keep a slight smirk off my face, only letting it go occasionally to receive another grape from Mikuru.

The sound of Kyon's voice has about the same effect on my state of mind as you'd get by dragging a needle across an old vinyl record.

"Decided to move up from Brigade Chief to Empress?" he says dryly, stepping in through the doorway leading outside; I can't help but notice with some slight annoyance that there's a regular Western-style door attached to it now, or there is until Kyon closes it.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snap, sitting bolt upright - almost knocking Mikuru over in the process.

"I wasn't exactly _planning_ to come here," he answers dryly, looking sidelong at his counterpart. "It seems that, unintentionally, I found myself in a lucid dream, so I figured I'd at least try to find you for once. It seems to have worked, too."

The look of amusement on his face is starting to tick me off, especially with the way he's looking at his double. "Something you find funny?" I can feel my eyebrow twitching, and I clench one hand at my side in anger.

"No no, don't mind me - feel free to go back to whatever you were doing," he replies airily.

No way I'm letting him off that easily! "Fine, I will!" And with a snap of my fingers, there's only _one_ Kyon left - still in nothing but a loincloth and wielding a giant fan, and now with a slightly startled expression. I just settle back on the couch and smirk a bit. "Since you ended up getting it last night, though, this time you're stuck being the fan service!"

There's a hint of an embarrassed blush at that, but surprisingly, that doesn't get him to start mumbling apologies - he almost looks smug, instead. One way or another, I'm going to take him down a notch here!

"After all, it is the grunt work," I say offhandedly, gesturing at the big wicker fan he's holding. "Now get to it, it's getting hot in here."

That earns me a scowl, and he gives the fan a couple of desultory swings in reply. I don't really plan on making him do this the entire time - if he's actually here, there's definitely more exciting stuff that we could do - but I'm trying to make a point here!

My thoughts are unfortunately interrupted at that point by what sounds like faint screaming and shouting outside, gradually getting louder. I look up abruptly to see that there's a slight smirk on Kyon's face, and before I have time to demand an answer, the room is overrun with a horde of screaming barbarians in furs and leather.

The fact that the 'barbarian horde' seems to consist of the members of the Computer Research Society doesn't improve matters, either. A bunch of scrawny, pasty guys in barely enough leather to meet the standards of decency... Ugh, this is venturing into nightmare territory.

To top it off, just as I'm starting to get up off the couch to do something about it, I'm shoved roughly back down - and when I look up, I'm confronted with an image that I really could have done without. The computer society's president is standing over me, dressed in an assortment of leather straps covered with iron spikes, a mocking expression on his face. The only counterbalance to this is that I can see Kyon standing behind him, and he's wearing an expression of distaste that I imagine mirrors my own.

"Your final defeat is at hand, Suzumiya Haruhi!" the president crows, striking what I can only describe as a pose straight out of a sentai show. "Your petty brigade is finished, and I'll be claiming the spoils of victory!"

And with that... okay, _now_ I'm pissed off! Before I even have a chance to react, he grabs Mikuru, slings her over his shoulder, and runs off laughing like a madman!

"That does it!" I grind out, looking over at Kyon - who looks pretty irritated himself. "You're responsible for this, aren't you?"

"I-"

I don't bother giving him more time than that to answer, shaking my head sharply as I snap my fingers. Just like that, we're both outfitted in what looks like armor for ancient Roman centurions. Seeing Kyon in a big bronze helmet with a giant red crest on top is almost enough to make me giggle, but from what I can feel on my head I've got one on too, so before we both break down laughing at each other - we have a mascot to rescue!

Stepping onto the chariot that's appeared in the middle of the room, I grab the reins and hold them out for Kyon. "You're driving, I'm taking him down!"

He barely has time to register his surprise, but I have to grant that he recovers from it remarkably fast - within no more than a few seconds he's climbed up into the chariot next to me, taking the reins and getting the horses to carry us out the back of the temple-like room we've been in. Strangely enough - or maybe not so strangely, since this whole thing is a dream - the back of the temple opens out onto a rocky mountain slope, with a fierce-looking thunderstorm brewing overhead.

I don't have long to take in the sights, though - the ground is really rough, and we're moving fast enough that the floor of the chariot is jolting around all over the place. I manage to grab the railing before I'm sent flying, and barely a second later Kyon lets go of the reins long enough to get me between his arms. I shoot a glance at him at that, but he honestly seems to be concerned about me falling off more than anything - he's really focused on the path ahead.

Of course, with as fast as we're going it doesn't take us long to catch up to the president and Mikuru; he's at the edge of a cliff, with Mikuru sobbing behind him, and he's managed to get a huge battle-axe from somewhere. Kyon pulls the chariot up, blocking the path, and we both leap out, ready to do battle!

"I'll take him on, you get Mikuru-chan out," I hiss to Kyon; he nods in acknowledgement as I draw my own short sword, moving in to engage the president - who's standing there beckoning with a sneer.

I'll wipe that grin off his face!

I square off with him, settling the shield on my arm; the nice thing about this being a dream is that all this armor isn't any heavier than a regular set of clothes - I expect this kind of getup in the real world would weigh a ton!

"One defeat wasn't enough for you, huh?" I challenge. "I'll take you down anytime, anywhere - anything you think you can do, I'll do it better!"

"Big words, Suzumiya," he sneers back. "Think you can actually back them up, or is it all talk?"

Rather than waste my breath on a reply, I move in to attack! The fight is actually pretty uneven, though; he's got a lot longer reach with that giant axe, but I can move a lot quicker than he can since my sword's a lot smaller - so after I duck under his first swing, I jump in close and start slashing away at him.

He's faster than I expected, however, and before I can actually hit him he hops back a few feet, closer to the cliff edge. I can see out of the corner of my eye that Kyon's taken advantage of the distraction to get Mikuru back to the chariot; the two of them are standing behind it, watching my duel.

Just as I'm about to charge in to finish him off, he reaches behind his back, pulling out a pair of... scimitars? What the hell, Kyon? How do you get a fur-clad barbarian with a couple of scimitars? I shoot him a dirty look, but he looks just as puzzled as I do - and I have to suppress another flash of annoyance, too, seeing Mikuru clinging to him like that.

I shake that off, though, turning back to my opponent; he's now grinning like a maniac, twirling the twin swords around in flashing arcs and slowly advancing on me. I'm not even sure where to _start_ to try to attack him, now!

Then I realize: this is _my_ dream, I can do whatever I want here! With that thought in mind, I drop my sword and shield, then stretch my hand up, up, up - high enough that I can reach through a hole in the stormclouds, grabbing the crescent moon that I knew would be there in the middle. As I pull it down, I reach up with my other hand, grabbing one of the lightning bolts flickering through the clouds. Now, with _this_ kind of bow and arrow, we'll see who laughs last!

He just glares back at me in defiance. "This isn't over, Suzumiya - this is only the beginning!"

"Beginning or not, it's over for now!" I almost don't feel the need to say what happens next, it's just too obvious; obvious and cliched, but also incredibly fun. With the moon as my bow and a lightning bolt as my arrow, the president barely has time to brace himself before my shot hits him dead in the center of his chest, blasting him off the precipice. I dash over to the edge, just in time to see him hurtling off into the distance.

I can hear him shout back at me, just before he vanishes into the mists further down the mountainside. "It's never oveeeeeeeeeerrr...!"

He might be back later, but he's definitely not going to be any more of a problem tonight! Now that I'm not as focused on my enemy, though, I can hear Mikuru and Kyon, shouting encouragement; I turn back to face them, holding my moon-bow up in the air as a victory pose. "As if there could be any other winner!" I crow.

Kyon smirks in reply, giving me a thumbs up - and then a startled look comes over his face out of nowhere, and he vanishes abruptly, his form puffing away like mist. What the hell, did he get woken up out of nowhere _again_?

* * *

><p>My last image of Haruhi - wearing a gladiator outfit, holding up the crescent moon as a bow - contrasts sharply against the sudden view of staring up at my uncle Keiichi as he looks concerned. He's crouched at the side of my futon, and once he sees I'm awake he warns me, "Kyon-kun - some of the supporting levees around the Okinomiya area have broken. All of your other uncles are going to join me with the emergency relief crews - to try and see if we can't reinforce the sandbags-<p>

"This is short notice, but we're rounding up the village children and families in low-lying areas. Most of them will be going to the school building, but we need to ask you to help out here. Understand?"

As much as I hate waking up, I sit up and nod immediately. This is exactly why Aunt Rika had brought changes of clothes and fresh bedding to Aunt Mion's house, isn't it? I manage to groggily ask, "What should I do?" even as I try and scrub the last of the sleep from my eyes.

I think I'm starting to feel the effects of what Haruhi was warning me about, with lucid dreaming not being as restful as the real thing, and this is a terrible time for that! Worse - we were so distracted in playing around, I didn't even get a chance to ask how her investigation was going...

With that weighing down on me, I don't think I could sleep anyway, even if I hadn't just been woken up for an important task. And it's not like I can afford to go back to sleep to ask her _now_...

"Just try and help your aunts keep an eye on the children," Uncle Keiichi answers, rising to his feet and checking his watch, even as I hear the footsteps of one of my uncles - or my father - hurrying down the hall, grumbling about the urgency of the situation.

This is serious stuff! It may not be much, but if I can help keep my cousins distracted and out of the way, I'll do what I can to contribute- But even thinking that... If they sleep through most of it, as they should, all I can really do is mull over what Haruhi might have learned and keep my aunts company.

Uncle Keiichi shakes his head and moves to the still-open door. "Alright - just stay up with Rena-chan and help her out; once morning comes around, both of you should be able to get some sleep and leave the rest to Satoko-chan, Shion-chan, and Imouto- Er, your mother."

I almost ask about Aunt Mion and Aunt Rika before remembering that as a community leaders, both of them are going to be occupied helping with the relief efforts. "You can count on me," I say, climbing up out of my futon and recieving a solemn clap on the shoulder from my uncle before he joins my father in the hall, both of them rushing towards the door.

I can see my little sister standing at the doorway of the guest bedroom she's going to be sharing with more cousins soon, rubbing at her eyes sleepily and asking, "What's going on?"

"The cousins will all be joining us here," I answer, "but you should try and get some sleep while you can, alright, Imouto?"

She gives me a questioning look before breaking off to yawn hugely, then nodding and going back to her futon.

This is rapidly shaping up to be one of the worst vacations ever! Well, I can sort at least one concern out. As long as the phone lines stay up, I can at least call Haruhi and ask, even if I have to be careful about what my cousins might overhear. That's a silver lining that helps me deal with the impending sleepless night-

When Haruhi's likely to be awake, I can talk to her before getting what will be much-needed rest. With that resolve, I go to meet Aunt Rena in the living room, prepared for a very long night indeed.


	6. Rumors in Dylath Leen

In Your Dreams - Chapter Six

Rumors in Dylath-Leen

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>It was a little disconcerting to see Kyon vanish so abruptly, but at this point I'm pretty much convinced that his cousins must literally be unable to let him sleep in - which really, for a vacation? I'd be hanging them out to dry if it was me. If you don't have anything to do, vacations are for relaxing!<p>

Well, one way or another, he'll be back in a few days, and I'm sure he'll be his usual lazy self - he can catch up on his sleep in class. As long as he's not napping during Brigade meetings, I don't honestly care myself, and I _guess_ I could help him keep up, at least for a while.

After he disappeared, the dream kept going, but it wasn't all that much fun. Mikuru was totally startled by Kyon disappearing, but it didn't bother her for more than a few minutes. Still, having what amounts to a puppet cheering for me just wasn't the same at all. Getting out of the dream was actually easier than I thought; I just pictured a giant switch - like something out of an old Frankenstein movie - and yanked it. Just like that, I found myself groggily blinking awake.

It was still totally dark outside, and rather than bother trying to get up, I just rolled back over and went to sleep - I was still pretty tired, after all, since I'd been lucid dreaming for the last few nights in a row - and thanks to that, I ended up sleeping in later than usual.

I didn't have anything planned for today, though, so it didn't really bother me that much - and thanks to that, I've pretty much taken it easy. The only minor interruption happened shortly after I woke up; my cell phone rang once, but by the time I got out of bed to check on it, it had already stopped - and the number wasn't anything I recognized, so I'm guessing it was just a wrong number that they realized after they'd let the phone ring. It was enough to get me out of bed, at least - and it was pretty late, anyway - so that's not a terrible thing.

Despite the whole 'Kyon takes over and ruins the whole setup I had going' thing, it was really a lot of fun - and given what happened there, the next time we do this I'm _definitely_ going to get him back!

* * *

><p>Just past lunchtime, my thoughts turn back to the others - and the first to come to mind is Yuki. Since she wasn't feeling well yesterday, I figure it wouldn't hurt to check up on her to make sure that headache wasn't the start of something more severe - she did say she was feeling a lot better last night, but it can't hurt to stop by anyway.<p>

I remember where her apartment is; that's where we spent the time making those Valentine's chocolates, after all. I manage to luck out when I arrive; the superintendent is just leaving, and lets me in so I don't have to bother buzzing Yuki to get inside.

I'm actually surprised at what I find when I get up to her floor; the door to her apartment is open, and there's a familiar figure outside. I'm a little concerned, though - what is the student council secretary doing at Yuki's place?

The fact that she's there at all is a problem, definitely - but remembering what Yuki told me yesterday, maybe I'm better off trying to find out what's actually going on before I barge in.

With that in mind, I try to move slowly and quietly, getting close enough to actually hear what's going on before I announce my presence. Yuki seems to spot me fairly quickly, and I see a flash of recognition in her eyes - but she quickly focuses back on her visitor.

Kimidori doesn't seem to have noticed me, though, which suits me just fine. Once I get close enough, I can pick up what they're saying to each other.

"...expressly prohibited from taking action or investigating further," Kimidori says. What could she be talking about?

"The prohibition itself indicates the target," Yuki replies levelly - even for her she sounds unusually serious here! "You are aware of the possible repercussions if your involvement becomes known."

By this point I'm standing no more than a meter behind Kimidori, and I can just about look Yuki in the eyes over her shoulder. The Brigade's quietest member doesn't pay me any further attention, focused entirely on her obviously unwelcome visitor.

"Regardless, you have your instructions," Kimidori replies, then turns without anything further - and almost runs into me. The shock on her face is really evident, but she recovers quickly.

"Ah- Suzumiya-san! I... didn't expect to see you here!" She tries to give me a smile, but I'm not buying it after that... whatever it was she did to Yuki. A threat? A warning? I'm not even sure, but it didn't sound good!

I put my hands on my hips and scowl at the green-haired student council member. "I don't know what you're doing here with Yuki, Kimidori-san, but if you or your group are causing her - or any of the rest of my Brigade - any trouble, I will make _sure_ you regret it!"

Her blanch is almost imperceptible, but I notice it anyway - mostly since I'm looking for it. What's more noticeable is that her smile fades, and she ducks her head as she moves around me. "I should be going, then," she says.

I can't resist a parting shot, though. "Ever manage to find another boyfriend, at least?" I call out mockingly.

She stops in the hallway and looks over her shoulder back at me. "I... have my eye on someone," she says, her voice a little strained.

I just snort in reply, turning my attention back to Yuki. "Are you all right, Yuki? What was that all about, anyway?"

"...troubles with family," she says, although I can't help but notice the slight hesitation as she says it. "Kimidori Emiri is a cousin."

I raise an eyebrow, then decide I should probably take this one head-on. "That's... you're not being entirely honest, are you?" I don't bother to wait for a reply before pushing on. "It's not just Mikuru-chan and Koizumi-kun that have secrets here - you do too."

Yuki pauses for a moment, then nods.

"And I'm guessing that if I were to ask you directly what it was, you wouldn't tell me." I shake my head - I was expecting more from Yuki since Kyon referred me to her, but even _she's_ hiding something from me! "And Kyon won't tell me anything either! Isn't there anyone in this Brigade I can actually trust?"

"I... cannot say more," Yuki says, looking away from me. "I cannot speak for Koizumi Itsuki, but I can say that both Asahina Mikuru and myself are incapable of providing information about ourselves to you directly."

I'm about to snap back at her when one of those words pops out at me. "Some excu- wait, _incapable_?" I narrow my eyes as I look at her. "What, you're trying to tell me that you're physically unable to tell me whatever it is that you're hiding from me?"

"That is correct," Yuki replies, not a hint of hesitation or uncertainty at all - and now you'd better believe I'm watching out for it!

That makes me pause for a minute, then I sigh. "Then what the hell did Kyon refer me to you for? If _you_ can't actually say anything to me, how am I supposed to get your help in figuring out what's going on with Mikuru or Koizumi?"

Yuki - at least as far as her expression ever changes - looks puzzled for a moment, then her face settles into her usual expression - although with a glint in her eye that I'm not sure I've ever seen her with before. "I can... offer some small assistance, although its impact may not be immediately apparent," she explains.

"How so?" I cross my arms, waiting for a better explanation.

"I am... prevented from providing information to you, directly or indirectly," Yuki continues. "However, I believe you have the capability to discover what it is you seek without direct assistance."

I snort at that. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but that's still not exactly helping me much."

Yuki nods. "The assistance I would offer would be contingent on your words to Kimidori Emiri - it may entail considerable risk for myself. If you are still willing to assist me at need, I will work to ensure that no other parties are able to interfere with your own investigation of the members of the SOS Brigade."

That gets me to stop and think, for a few reasons.

First: I'm wondering exactly how much to trust Yuki at this point. I don't _think_ she's been lying to me about any of this stuff - other than the whole 'family' thing - but that seems more like a euphemism to refer to something else than an out-and-out lie. So on that front, I'm less concerned.

Second: If Yuki and Mikuru _both_ are literally unable to talk about whatever it is they're not telling me, it must be pretty serious; the only thing I can think of that would prevent someone from doing that would be a major threat - like holding a family member hostage or something, or some sort of brainwashing. Neither one is something to take lightly!

Third: Logically, whatever the secret is, it has to be something related to me specifically, since Kyon seems to know whatever it is, and I can't imagine they didn't tell him directly since I don't see him as some kind of super-sleuth to figure that kind of thing out on his own. It's not like he's _bad_ at figuring out mysteries, but I can't see him putting that kind of effort into tracking down clues - or just stumbling across enough of them randomly.

One thing I can answer with confidence, though, regardless of anything else. "I'm a little worried about what's really going on here, but if you're in trouble, I'll definitely back you up. We faced down the student council for you, after all! I'm not entirely sure what I can _do_ - if this is something serious enough that neither you or Mikuru-chan can talk to me about it directly, I can't imagine it's something to take lightly - but whatever I can do, I will."

Yuki nods in reply, looking somewhat relieved. "Then I will do what I can to assist you. When you discover the truth about myself, you may ask me for further information, and I will provide it at that time."

I can't help but shake my head and speak my mind directly at that. "Sounds almost like some kind of game... but Kyon didn't make it sound like anything to joke about when he was talking about it, and I don't really get that from you either."

Again, the lavender-haired girl simply nods, although this time she doesn't elaborate any further.

"Then I guess I'm on my own for now," I sigh - although there's one last idea to try. "I don't suppose you could tell me if I got it right if I just started guessing stuff at random?"

A slight shake of Yuki's head puts paid to that idea, as expected. Guess I'm going to have to work for this after all!

* * *

><p>Going home doesn't really have any appeal after that talk with Yuki, so instead I decide to wander around the shopping district while I consider my next moves.<p>

Mikuru is still very much in my sights for piquing my curiosity in the first place, but after hearing what Yuki had to say today, and given the hints that Kyon dropped, I'm getting a really bad feeling about what might be going on with her. I'd still like to grill her - if I could make anyone talk, it'd be her! - but I suspect that following Kyon's advice there and treading lightly may be the best call.

Yuki... I don't know much more about her situation than I did before I talked to her, but I know she _has_ a situation at least; I suppose the fact that neither she nor Mikuru can actually say anything about their situations directly is another good piece of information, since it does lend some gravity to what's going on. I don't really think it can be some kind of silly prank if that's really true - and if it's not, Yuki and Kyon are both going to be in some serious hot water! But I don't honestly think that's the case here.

Koizumi... actually, I know the least about him and whatever his secret is. Yuki didn't say he _couldn't_ talk about it, the way she and Mikuru can't, but if he's got a secret as well then he might be the safest one to start investigating. Thinking about it, I actually have a few things to start with in his case, too - like that mysterious part-time job of his.

I've honestly never paid more attention to it mostly because I couldn't imagine how it could possibly be interesting - but it's definitely worth checking out now! Without any further ado, I pull out my cell and give him a call; I don't have any other plans for the afternoon, so there's no time like the present to get started.

"Ah... Suzumiya-san?" He actually answers surprisingly quickly once I punch him up in my phone book.

If I'm investigating, though, small details are going to be important! "That was quick - did I interrupt you on a call?"

"Nothing that can't wait," he replies smoothly. "Was there something I could help you with?"

Keep it nonchalant, Haruhi. "Yeah, I was just wondering if you had some time to hang out this afternoon," I say. "Today's been kind of slow, and since there haven't been any Brigade activities since Tuesday, I figured I should catch up with you, see how your week went. With the way it's been raining all week I just haven't felt like dragging everyone out, but at least we've got a break from it today."

If he's surprised by me inviting him out of the blue, he does a good job of hiding it. "Of course, that should be no problem at all! When and where would you like to meet?"

"Well, I was just visiting with Yuki, so I'm already downtown. If you want to head this way yourself, you can just meet me at the station like we usually do for our mystery searches." As I fill him in on the place to meet, I start heading that way myself.

"That sounds fine - I should be there quite soon," Koizumi promises.

"Good!" I bark back at him. "As usual, if you're late there will be penalties assessed!" Without waiting for any further reply, I end the call - he's got his orders!

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, it really doesn't take Koizumi long to arrive at all. Yuki's apartment is a few minutes' walk away from Kouyouen Station, so by the time I've taken the train back to our usual meet-up location I only end up waiting a minute or two for him.<p>

It's long enough to be mildly annoying, so I'm already starting to tap my foot impatiently before he arrives. He does at least have the sense to look apologetic about it; if this were Kyon, he'd be complaining about how I was closer to begin with or making some other excuse for why it was okay for him to have arrived after me.

Somehow, the lack of resistance isn't really improving my mood about it, though. With that thought in mind, I give Koizumi a halfhearted smile as he walks up; for his part, his expression fairly quickly turns to puzzlement.

"Am I... the first to arrive aside from yourself?" he prompts, after a moment in which I don't say anything.

"No, you're the only other person coming," I retort, only waiting a moment to make sure he follows me as I head out of the station.

"Oh! My apologies, I thought Nagato-san was joining us." He looks somewhat thoughtful at that.

"Nope, I was just checking in on her - she came over to visit yesterday and ended up having to head home because she wasn't feeling well, so I was just stopping by to make sure she was doing better," I explain.

"Nothing too serious, I hope," he says, looking concerned. "It's rather unusual for her to be ill."

"Apparently not," I answer offhandedly. "She had what looked like a pretty bad headache yesterday, but she was doing fine today - I just didn't think inviting her out was a great idea right after that."

"That was considerate of you," Koizumi says, his smile turning genuinely pleased. "And Asahina-san?"

"I went shopping with her a couple of days ago," I explain. "We had fun - but I gave her an assignment to try to come up with some costume ideas for the Brigade on her own. It's good that she's so willing to follow orders and she's a great mascot, but I'd like to see her show a little more initiative, you know?"

"Understandable," Koizumi answers, nodding in agreement. "I've wondered at her ability to keep up with us, since she usually has to receive orders before she does anything - I can't recall any time where I've ever seen her do something on her own initiative. But that should be an excellent way for her to show her interest."

"Hmm, you really think she's been troubled, then?" I push open the door to a coffee shop - not our usual cafe, I'm in the mood to try something a little different today.

"Ah... perhaps a bit," he allows. "I don't think it's so much that you've asked her to do anything unreasonable, just that she seems to have a difficult time doing what it is that you do ask for."

I don't really have an answer for that; given some of Yuki's hints and the way Mikuru acts most of the time, I'm starting to wonder if it's not something a lot more serious than that, but there's no reason to fill Koizumi in on my suspicions - at least not yet. I'll have to figure out more about what _his_ secret is before I do that much.

Instead, I just head for the nearest open table and flop down in a chair. Koizumi seems satisfied to let me take the lead for conversation; he's definitely paying close attention to me as he takes a seat across from me. Something feels odd about that, but I dismiss it as I look over one of the menus that's been left on the table.

Rather than let the silence stagnate while I read, though, I decide to start some of my probing on Koizumi himself. "So... what about you, Koizumi-kun? Been busy with your family at all, since the Brigade's plans fell through?"

He looks slightly off-guard for the briefest of moments at the question, but if I hadn't been watching out for any unusual reactions I probably never would have noticed it. "Actually, not particularly. Most of my free time has been spent keeping up with my studies."

"Really?" I glance at him briefly, then turn my attention back to the menu. "That's a little surprising... although maybe not, I guess - my parents went out of town for the week, and since I had my own plans I just stayed behind by myself. Something like that for you, too?"

"Indeed," he replies smoothly.

"No part-time work? Seems like that's kind of fallen off lately - you haven't had to skip any Brigade activities for that in a while, at least that I can remember."

His smile actually broadens a bit at that. "Actually, no - I somewhat expected it to pick up a bit in the latter part of this week, but it's been surprisingly quiet in that regard."

I shoot him a quizzical look. "What exactly is it that you _do_, anyway? It's kind of weird to have a part-time job that only interferes with your club activities some of the time - I could understand it better if it was something that happened regularly."

"Ah - that has to do with why I transferred," Koizumi replies. "I actually moved to Nishinomiya to help my great-uncle with his store - he runs a bookstore in the northern part of the city. "

"That's kind of cool, I guess," I say, glancing around the restaurant briefly. Where the hell's the server, anyway? I would have expected them to come by for the order by now! I huff a bit in frustration, then turn back to Koizumi. "Only thing that seems a little odd about that is the odd times and short notice when you have to duck out of Brigade activities."

"Ah, well..." Koizumi coughs politely. "It actually does a fair amount of business in used books, and while we know we'll receive more, we don't always know how many there will be. Usually, if I have to leave early it's because a particularly large shipment has come in, and I need to help my uncle move it - he's fairly old, and can't manage the boxes of books by himself very well."

"That makes a little more sense," I allow. "What's the name of this place, anyway?"

"I doubt it's anywhere you've visited before - it's a bit out of the way, at the edge of the shopping district." Koizumi hedges.

"Okay, fine, so I might not have seen it _before_, but maybe I want to check it out _now_," I shoot back testily.

His smile weakens a bit at that. "I apologize, I didn't mean to seem evasive. It's Northern Nishinomiya Books-"

"That's fine, I can just look it up online later," I snap, crossing my arms. And at that, I spot movement out of the corner of my eye; it looks like the waiter's _finally_ decided to come over for our orders.

And then I turn to look at him, and have to resist the urge to imitate Kyon's favorite mannerism - smacking my palm into my forehead. Of all the people it could be...

"Taniguchi? What the hell are you doing here?" I can't help but bark out.

"Um-um-um-um... I work here?" he manages to stammer out. "C-c-c-can I take your orders?"

I can't help but wonder why he's so nervous, then I notice that he keeps sneaking glances over at Koizumi and then back at me. What the hell is so odd about the fact that Koizumi and I are out getting... something...

Now I _really_ have to resist the urge to hit myself. I didn't even stop to think about what me going out to a restaurant with a guy, by myself, was going to look like.

I also don't hesitate once I've realized the implications, either. It takes me basically no effort to grab the front of Taniguchi's shirt and yank him down to eye level, rising halfway out of my seat in the process.

"I can already guess what's going through that perverted mind of yours," I growl, shooting him a look that promises pain. "We're here meeting on SOS Brigade business, and absolutely _nothing_ more than that."

"O-of course!" he yelps, trying to jerk out of my grasp - but I'm not done with him.

"I also know you have trouble keeping your mouth shut, but if I hear word one of this at school I _will_ make sure you regret it, am I clear?"

"Perfectly clear!" he squeaks out, and with that I finally let go of him. I don't honestly believe that'll stop the rumor mill from having a field day with this, but at least I made the effort.

Surprisingly, he doesn't scurry off immediately the way I'd expect. I shoot him a dark scowl at that - can't he take a hint? - but he just cringes and tries to hide behind his serving tray.

"I... er... still need to take your orders," he manages to get out.

That catches me off guard, if just for a moment... but on thinking about it, it's an easy enough question to answer. I glance over at Koizumi to see what his reaction is, but he just returns a faint shrug - although I can't help but notice that his usual smile has faded a bit.

"Forget it, I'm not hungry anymore," I snap, grabbing my purse from the chair next to me as I get up. "Koizumi-kun, we can get back to this at the next Brigade meeting."

"Of course," he replies smoothly, getting out of his own seat as well.

With that, I push Taniguchi back out of the way and stalk out of the cafe. I can't help but cringe at the thought of having to tell Kyon about this - I can already see the smirk on his face - but really, better that I say something than he find out from that pervert, which would be even _worse_.

I don't even bother to look back to see if Koizumi's following me out - frankly, I don't really care at this point. What a way to wrap up the day!

...well, I guess it's not _entirely_ a loss. I did get more information about Koizumi's part-time job, at least; that'll give me something new to look into tomorrow.

I'll be glad when Kyon's back, that's for sure! Even if he doesn't tell me anything directly, I can see him letting things slip - now that I know to watch out for them, anyway.

* * *

><p>When I next come to my senses, I'm in some kind of room made of what looks like blue metal. It's rather disorienting, until I remember to try my reality check - and then it's more surprising than anything when it turns out I really am dreaming again.<p>

I have no idea why I'm controlling my dream again when I didn't intend to - but whatever the reason, I'm not particularly inclined to kick myself out of the dream, at least not yet. A cursory exploration of the room I'm in doesn't really turn up anything interesting, which seems unique in itself; so far, pretty much every place I've dreamed myself into originally has been pretty fantastic, but this is actually fairly boring.

At least, that's _before_ I actually head for the door and step outside. The view outside the room is enough to take my breath away - almost literally.

The doorway opens out onto a small ledge, maybe a meter wide, made of the same blue metal. What's beyond that, though...

The only thing that I can compare it to is videos I've seen online of people attaching cameras to weather balloons and letting them go. The sun is in the sky, and I can feel it on my face, but the sky overhead is almost black and the stars are definitely visible. Out towards the horizon I can see a blue haze - what I'd guess is the edge of the atmosphere - and while there are definitely clouds out there, they're far more _down_ there - with as high as I am, even the clouds have to be miles below me.

I definitely don't have a problem with heights under normal circumstances, but this is a bit much, even for me - I found myself grabbing the edge of the doorframe to steady myself, then looked down to see exactly what I was on.

I was expecting to see that I was in some kind of spaceship just leaving the atmosphere, but no - what's below me is some kind of ridiculously tall tower, made of this same weird blue metal. There are several odd protrusions and other structures popping out of the main tower itself, from what I can see, and a long way further down I can see a big ring of what looks like normal land surrounding the central column - but even that's above the clouds, and it keeps me from seeing whether the main shaft actually goes _through_ the clouds or not - but I suspect it does even without seeing it.

The thought is as dizzying as the view - although once I remember that this is a dream, some of my apprehension goes with it. After all, even if I fell, I could make myself fly, or just appear somewhere else - I'm not in any danger here as long as I remember that I'm the one in control.

With that reassurance to steady my legs, I step out fully onto the ledge, taking the measure of the place. Recalling those weather balloon videos, I'd guess I must be about thirty kilometers up, if not more - which is pretty amazing, since the tallest real building in the world isn't even a single kilometer high! And looking up, I'm not even at the top of the tower!

I have to admit, seeing some of the places my subconscious mind comes up with on its own can be pretty amazing by itself; while I don't think I'd care to have made the effort to learn lucid dreaming just for that, I can't deny that it's a nice bonus.

Since I'm here, though, I might as well take a look around for Kyon. I tend to doubt he'll be here - even if I'm getting used to this kind of sleep, it still seemed to take some time, and I got started with actual lucid dreams before he did, so it may take him a while to get to the same point.

A few page-turns don't turn him up anywhere that I'd expect, however. The first stop is the clubroom, of course, but it's completely empty - and so is the palace from the dream I made last night. We haven't really done anything in any other places - other than the tour of Hinamizawa - so I'm not sure where else I'd even look at the moment; I could try to find him randomly, but since I don't even think he'll be here tonight, I don't see a reason to spend a ton of time looking for him.

So instead, I decide to simply enjoy the dream for what it is - a chance for my mind to make up the kinds of fantastic stuff I really want to find and explore it. The rest of the night is spent just turning pages randomly to see what's out there - and the variety of things to see was amazing in itself.

Some things were just plain weird, like being mounted on the back of Kyon's cat and trying to race against Sakanaka on the back of Rousseau - which worked about as well as you might expect; as soon as the flag was dropped, the cat promptly curled up and tried to take a nap, while Rousseau was off like a shot.

Most of the dreams are fairly simple, though - tons of surreal landscapes, everything from a domed city in space orbiting some strange planet to mountains that looked like they were made completely out of multicolored crystal. It's definitely a lot of fun, although I can't help but feel like it was kind of empty - it'd be more fun if Kyon was here.

* * *

><p>I wake up on time, feeling pretty decent overall. The last time I ended up in lucid dreams a few nights in a row, I could barely keep my eyes open - and really, I'd been feeling pretty tired even before then. Even so, it's the fourth night in a row that I've been in the dream like this - maybe I'm actually getting used to this kind of sleep?<p>

Sunday afternoon finds me headed out to meet Mikuru again; my parents are due back in town early this evening, but I'm not particularly keen on being around when they get back - they'll be tired and grouchy, so I'd just rather avoid them entirely.

Of course, meeting Mikuru isn't _just_ so I can avoid my parents, although that does make a convenient cover story - even more so because it's true. I'm not going to interrogate Mikuru directly like I want to, probably not even as much as I did with Koizumi yesterday, but Kyon's suggestion was to be her friend, and Yuki's was to observe - and the best way to do both of those things is to spend more time with her.

And so, once again I'm meeting one of the Brigade's members at Kitaguchi Station for an afternoon of shopping - but with a mission of my own to accomplish at the same time. Mikuru's actually beaten me here this time, although with only two of us meeting there's no point in assigning penalties anyway.

I wave in greeting to the Brigade's mascot, then give her a smile as I get close enough to speak to her without yelling. "Thanks for coming out this afternoon - my parents are due back in from their vacation today, and my dad is always grumpy and worn out after he gets back from a long trip. Staying out of the house seems like the best bet for now, and it'd suck to just wander around by myself."

Mikuru essays a hesitant smile at that. "Ah - I was kind of wondering, since you hadn't mentioned anything else happening this weekend, and we'd already been out shopping earlier this week."

I put on a wry grin at that. "I'll absolutely admit that it's more of an excuse to get out of the house, but I doubt you had much else going on this afternoon either," I prod.

"Well... that's true..." Mikuru hedges.

"Good!" I take Mikuru's elbow and start off, heading on an unusual tangent out of the station - away from the boutiques we usually visit. "Besides, I've got someplace I want to check out today."

She allows herself to be pulled, although I do make an effort to slow down a little from my usual pace so I'm not actually dragging her behind me. She looks a little puzzled, so I figure I should at least give an explanation of why we're not doing the usual.

"I finally managed to get some info out of Koizumi-kun about that part-time job of his," I explain, waiting for one of the street crossing signals to change. "I figure, since we've already hit the usual spots this week, why not mix things up and go check it out?"

"O-oh," Mikuru says, looking nonplussed. "Are you... don't you want Koizumi-kun along to show you around, then?"

"Actually, no," I reply, giving her a conspiratorial smirk as the light changes and we continue on. "I always thought his story about a part-time job was kind of weird, so I want to get a look at it when he's not actually expecting me."

Mikuru blinks a couple of times at that. "Is that so," she says slowly, a rather amused-looking smile forming on her features. "Why did you think his story was strange, though?"

I shrug a bit; I can be honest about my original suspicions, even if they've changed a bit recently. "Honestly? It's just way too convenient the way he calls out of Brigade meetings on short notice sometimes - I've occasionally wondered if it was just an easy excuse to skip when he didn't feel like it, but most of the times he's done it I haven't really been in any kind of mood to follow up on it."

The Brigade mascot nods thoughtfully. "That makes sense... well, I can't see any harm in checking up on it then - although where exactly is it that he works?"

In answer, I point to the storefront just up the block - even from here, the 'Northern Nishinomiya Books' sign is readable. "Apparently, it's that bookstore up there - he works part time for his uncle doing shipping and receiving stuff."

Mikuru nods pensively as we get closer. As I can see more of the building, I can't help but notice how run-down it seems; the shop windows themselves seem pretty dirty, and while there are planters all around the building, most of the hedges planted in them are dead.

I can't help but shake my head at that. "Looks like that's all he does, though - this place could really stand some cleaning up!" I step over to one of the dead shrubs, picking a brown leaf out of the mess and letting it drop to the sidewalk. "Either that, or Koizumi-kun is just the world's worst gardener."

Mikuru hides a giggle behind her hand at that, and I give her an answering grin before pushing open the door into the shop.

We're greeted by a somewhat feeble "Welcome!" as the door opens. I greet the owner with a nod as we come in, giving him a discreet once-over; he definitely looks like he's getting up there in years, but I don't really notice much of a resemblance to Koizumi. I guess a great-uncle is far enough removed that something like that might not be obvious, but it's still something to keep in mind.

I decide to follow up with him later and push on into the store itself, Mikuru seeming a little nervous as she follows along behind me. And this time, I can kind of get why - this place is stuffed to bursting with books! The shabby look from outside definitely carries over to the interior; while the books aren't actually falling out of the shelves or anything, the shelves themselves look rather old and not all that stable. Even _I'm_ a little nervous about trying to get anything down for a closer look!

With that in mind, it's not terribly surprising that Mikuru stays close to me while I browse through the aisles, keeping her hands held crossed in front of her. After I've walked down to the end of the first aisle, she does finally approach a little closer to talk.

"Umm... not that I _mind_ looking around here, but... what are we looking for?" she whispers, glancing up at a rather precariously-stacked box on top of one of the shelves along the back wall.

I catch sight of what's got her attention and move a bit further along the back wall, just to be on the safe side - although pretty much _all_ of these shelves look that sloppy. "As far as books go, nothing really - it's more about checking the place out, seeing if we can find out anything about Koizumi-kun working here." I can't help but speak in low tones myself - it may not be a library, but being among so many books makes it hard not to think that way.

"Umm... I'm still not sure what we're looking for, then," Mikuru admits, grimacing a little. "I mean, if he's here and we see him, that's obvious, but it's supposed to be a part-time job - what if he's not working today?"

I sigh sharply, leaning back against a shelf- and quickly straightening up as it wobbles in place. "Whoa... anyway, this is more about looking for details, little things that might show that he's been working here."

Thinking about it, though, we're probably not going to find things like that out on the sales floor, if he's been working on moving boxes - all of his stuff will be in the back room. With that in mind, I start working my way along the back wall to find the entrance to the back, although I pull up short as I see one of the signs on the aisle shelves - the used book section.

"Hold up, Mikuru-chan - let's check out the used books," I say, holding up a hand to stop her.

She blinks in surprise for a moment, then follows, still looking a bit puzzled. Rather than wait for her to ask, I continue my explanation as I start picking through the shelves - carefully.

"One of the things Koizumi-kun told me was that he usually has to cut Brigade meetings to move in the used book shipments," I offer, frowning a bit as I pull one of the used books off the shelf.

Now this is weird, and definitely on the fishy side! The book I pulled off the shelf could be brand new; there's no shrink-wrap, and the obi - the little dust-jacket with more information about the book - is missing, but aside from that it looks like it's never been read. The spine even crackles when I open it up!

Definitely suspicious; I stuff the book back on the shelf and grab another from the next shelf up - and the same applies to that one too. This one still has the publisher's card in it when I flip through it!

I can't help but smirk at that, shutting the book with a snap. "That definitely qualifies as suspicious!" I announce quietly, slotting the book into place. "These books are brand new!"

"That's... I guess that is a little we- eeeeek!" Mikuru's agreement is cut short by a sharp shriek, occasioned by a rather large box of books tipping off the top shelf! I'm just barely quick enough to brace myself and catch it before it falls on her head - damn, this is _heavy_!

I manage to shift the weight to a more manageable position after a moment, Mikuru peeking up and scooting back to a safe distance after she realizes she isn't going to be crushed. With the extra room to maneuver, I manage to get the box down to the floor, although it takes some work - with one box already having fallen, I don't want to lean it up against the shelf and make something _else_ fall.

That done, I stalk up to the front of the store, Mikuru trailing along in my wake. I don't have to put up a front at all to confront the owner, in this case! "Hey!" I call out. "You should be more careful with your book boxes, my friend was almost hit by one just a minute ago!"

The elderly gentleman behind the counter blinks at me nearsightedly, fumbling for a pair of glasses before focusing on the two of us. "Eh? What's that?"

"Your shelves are dangerous!" I retort more loudly, setting my hands on my hips. "All I did was put a book back on the shelf, and a box fell off and almost hit Mikuru-chan!"

He finally seems to hear me at that, looking rather shocked. "Oh no - I'm very sorry! You're not hurt, are you?" he exclaims, peering through his spectacles at Mikuru.

"N-no, I'm fine - Suzumiya-san kept the box from hitting me," Mikuru explains, relaxing just a bit now that we're in a more open area.

"Oh good, good," the old man replies, settling back in his chair. "I'm very sorry about that - I know I should organize better, but I have a hard time getting up to the top shelves these days."

That gives me a perfect opportunity to work in some of my own questions. "I can get that, but if you're having trouble you should find someone to help you out! Someone could really get hurt if something like that happens again!"

"I do have some help from my nephew, but he's rather busy much of the time and can't come in that often," the proprietor replies.

That does give some credence to Koizumi's story, at least, but still... those new books? It's not _all_ on the up-and-up, for sure! "You should at least get him to help you make sure the store is safe!" I snap back, finally grabbing Mikuru's hand. "Come on, Mikuru-chan, let's go!"

Mikuru lets out a little yelp of surprise as she's pulled out of the store; I don't let go of her hand until we've reached the other end of the block, turning to look at her while we wait for the signal to cross the road back towards the station.

"Are you okay, Mikuru-chan?" I ask, giving her a critical once-over. She didn't get hit - luckily - but given how easily she gets freaked out, I can see her still being upset.

"I'm not hurt," the redhead replies, taking a deep breath and sighing. "I was afraid I was going to get crushed under that box though - I can't believe you actually caught it!"

I wave off the praise casually, shaking my head. "I couldn't let you get squished, could I? I'm just glad you're not hurt!" I can't help but grin and give her a poke in the chest as I go on. "Although it'd take a pretty big box to make _you_ flat!"

Mikuru goes scarlet at that, stammering as she hunts for a reply - which just makes me burst out laughing. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Seriously, though, it's not that big a deal - it was heavy, but nothing I couldn't manage!" I can't help but puff my own chest out a bit in pride.

She calms down a little at that, although she's still blushing a bit. "Even so... thanks, Suzumiya-san."

"It's nothing," I repeat. "Didn't I tell you earlier - I'm the SOS Brigade chief, of course I'm going to look out for our members! Especially our awesome mascot!"

One thing from that bothers me, just a little; if Kyon's right, and I should work on being Mikuru's friend more...

"And one more thing - you don't need to be that formal with me anymore - we've known each other for almost a year now! You can just call me Haruhi if you want to."

Mikuru seems more surprised at that than anything else that's happened today. "I... really?"

"Of course! I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!" I retort, grabbing her hand and pulling her across the street as the signal changes. "Now come on - this mission's been a big success, so let's go get something to eat to celebrate!"

* * *

><p>For the first time in a while, I don't actually go into a lucid dream, nor do I really remember what I dreamed about. It doesn't bother me too much, though; it's the first day back in classes, and I plan on having a <em>long<em> debriefing session with Kyon about what all he's done when I haven't been around in the dream.

With that thought in mind, my steps are light, and the walk up the hill that Kyon loves to grumble about so much is barely noticeable - not that it's really that much of a strain anyway, but it makes good teasing fodder now and then.

It's early when I settle into the classroom, so there's no sign of Kyon yet - although that's not that unusual. Since Kyon isn't here yet, I end up chatting with Sakanaka for a few minutes; given the dream with her on Saturday night, I ask whether she's remembered any other dreams since the last time we talked, but no luck. It does get me to wondering whether I might have actually seen her dream and not just a representation of her in my own dream - it's something to look into later, for sure!

Still, Kyon doesn't show up the entire time I'm talking with her, and while he does tend to cut it close, the chime to start classes going off with no sign of him definitely indicates that something's wrong. He might tend to take it down to the wire, but he's almost never actually _late_.

The continued lack of Kyon keeps me uneasy throughout the entire first period, then at the first break I waste no time in heading down to the office to find out if there's been any word from him. I could probably try asking Okabe-sensei, but he doesn't exactly strike me as the diligent type - so if Kyon's called in today, I somehow doubt he'd hear about it until after I did anyway.

The secretary in the office looks lost when I ask if there's been any word from Kyon; it takes me a moment to realize they'd know him by his real name, but even providing that doesn't turn up any news. I give the woman a quick thank-you, then start heading back to the classroom.

Just to make sure, I hit the speed-dial for his cell phone, but it doesn't even ring - it just drops me straight into his voicemail box, which I don't bother leaving a message on for now. I debate trying his aunt's phone number in Hinamizawa, but the break is almost over, and I actually have to run just to get back to my seat in time. Sakanaka gets a look at my face as I come in, and while I get a momentary look of concern from her, there's no real time to talk before the teacher clears his throat and starts up on the next lecture.

That pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the day. I don't check with the office at _every_ break, but definitely again at lunchtime and one last time after classes let out - and neither time has there been any call from Kyon or his parents to explain why he's absent - and I definitely try his cell phone every time I get a chance, and even his house phone at lunchtime.

I'm actually half tempted to try calling his aunt's number at lunchtime, but I figure I can leave it until after the Brigade meeting at least; it's a long shot, but maybe one of the others will have some idea of what's happened to him - and I'd rather not disturb or worry his family if it really isn't anything major.

I don't actually see much of the others during the day; I get a glimpse of Koizumi walking through the halls at lunchtime, which is a little unusual since I'm normally the only member that does much roaming around - everyone else generally tends to eat lunch in their classrooms. I don't stop to talk to him, though, and he appears to be focused on his own errand, so there's not much to be said there.

In the end, I finally arrive at the club room feeling worried and irritable. Thanks to the check-in at the office, I'm the last to arrive; Mikuru's already in uniform and in the process of making tea, but Koizumi and Yuki both look unsettled - or at least don't look like they normally do. Yuki actually doesn't have a book in her lap for once; she's staring at the opposite wall as I come in, while Koizumi is sitting at the table looking much less cheerful than usual.

I slam the door behind me, dropping my bookbag with a sour grunt. "All right - has anyone heard from Kyon?" I bark out, looking between the brigade's members in turn. "He hasn't been in class all day, I can't get him on his cell phone, and even the office hasn't heard anything!"

Yuki turns to look at me, giving a minuscule shake of the head in response. Mikuru looks alarmed; I guess it's news to her, but given that she's in an entirely different year I suppose that's not too surprising. Koizumi, on the other hand, looks more serious than usual as he responds.

"I'm afraid I haven't heard much, although I did hear that he was missing today," he says, shaking his head.

"Well, that's just great," I huff, sitting down so forcefully in my seat that the chair bangs against the wall. "Nothing on his house phone either - I've thought about calling his aunt out in the country to find out if they got held up on the way back, but I can't see that happening and them not calling the school office about it."

Koizumi just shakes his head, and then I'm surprised by the next suggestion. "Search online," Yuki adds quietly.

"...online? Search for _what_ online?" I snap. "His name _better_ not be in the news!"

"Weather reports," Yuki continues, unperturbed - or at least by my anger; she actually looks a bit more focused than I'm used to seeing. "There were reports of heavy rains in northern Honshu."

I snap my fingers at that. "You're right, I remember you mentioning that the other day. You think the weather might have held him up?" Rather than actually wait for a reply, I fire up the computer - it's as good a place to start as any.

"It is possible," Yuki affirms. "I... have been unable to obtain further information about conditions in his area since we last spoke."

That sounds kind of troubling - and Koizumi and Mikuru both seem to agree, the two of them looking at Yuki in surprise. Given that I'm supposed to be observing everyone, I make a note of that, although I can't really focus on it at the moment - finding Kyon is the important thing here!

Finally, the computer finishes starting up, and I start looking for news reports as Mikuru passes out the tea. She actually hovers over my shoulder after setting my cup down, looking at the screen herself; I can't really blame her too much for that, though.

A quick search for 'Hinamizawa' actually gets results - three articles, two from Saturday and another today. However, scanning the first one gives me some really disturbing news.

"Wait... what the hell?" I scowl, looking at the details of the second article. "According to this, the levees around the dam in Hinamizawa broke in the early hours on Saturday morning, and later that same day there was a mudslide that cut off all access and communications with the village."

Mikuru lets out a little gasp at that, and Yuki looks slightly _angry_ about it, for some reason. "Anyway, according to the article that went up today, the JSDF is up there airlifting supplies into the village, and since the weather still hasn't completely cleared up - and it's still flooding - they think it might be as much as a week or two before they're able to get the roads cleared and things go back to normal."

Koizumi actually loses his smile for once. "That... would explain it," he says slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. "If his family was planning to leave on Sunday - which would make sense - then they may have been stranded in the village by the mudslide. I can't imagine his parents would want to risk trying to get through those conditions with Kyon and his younger sister."

I slam my fist down next to the computer, which makes my tea slop over onto the desk. "This _sucks_! One of the Brigade's members is trapped - we're absolutely going to have to do something about this!"

Mikuru squeaks in alarm at the sudden sound, but Yuki still looks focused - when she catches me looking at her, she gives me a tiny nod, as if to say she's in agreement. I don't know why she'd be so upset about a natural disaster, but it's good to know I have her support!

"Ah... do you have a plan, Suzumiya-san?" Koizumi says hesitantly.

I'm about to snap back at him in reply, then I stop - he _does_ have a point. "Hmm, you're right - there's no way we're going to sit back and do nothing, but if things are that bad in the village where he's staying, then we'll definitely need to be prepared if we're going to get him out!"

Mikuru ducks down behind her serving tray at that. "We're going to go get him?" she whimpers.

"Of course!" I return, shooting her a withering look. "You think we should just _leave_ him there?"

She cringes at that, but it's Koizumi that comes to her rescue this time. "I think what Asahina-san meant to imply is that from your description, it doesn't actually sound like he's in immediate danger - perhaps we can allow the JSDF and the Department of Public Works to take care of retrieving those that are stranded, and help in some other means?"

"Like what?" I shoot back.

"What about something like a donation drive?" Koizumi says, giving me a small smile as he spreads his hands. "Obviously, with a disaster such as this there will be relief agencies such as the Red Cross that will need donations to help deal with the aftermath. We could stage a fundraiser here at the school, and in doing so help out Kyon-kun's family as well as the others in their village that have been displaced."

I don't like it, to be honest; I don't disagree that giving donations to places like that is a good thing to do, but it doesn't actually do anything to help _Kyon_. I'm about to tell Koizumi just that, too, but then a sneaky idea works it way into my head. A fundraiser to help with the relief efforts is _definitely_ a good idea... but the agency they'll be going to is the SOS Brigade! There's no way I'm getting talked out of heading up there to do something to help, but if we're doing that - especially if it's more than just me that's going - we'll need money for train tickets and other things to prepare. And we can turn it into a real relief trip too - but that means we need to buy supplies and other things to take with us when we go, and that means money, too.

Judging from the look on Yuki's face, I think she wants to go just as much as I do - but I'll wait until after Koizumi and Mikuru are gone to check on that. For now, I just nod thoughtfully as I reply to Koizumi. "That's... actually not a bad idea... fine! You're in charge of getting the flyers prepared, Koizumi-kun - Mikuru-chan, your costume assignment is now due by tomorrow! We'll need something eye-catching to get people's attention for the fundraiser, so try to come up with something that fits the theme that we can all dress up in!"

Mikuru looks startled at being called out, but gives me a hesitant nod; Koizumi's affirmation is more emphatic.

"Right! Since everyone has their assignments, that's what we're going to be working on for the rest of today! Koizumi-kun, Mikuru-chan, you're dismissed - but I'll be checking in with you tomorrow at lunchtime for a progress report, since we're going to have to move fast on this!"

"Of course," Koizumi replies, his usual smile restored as he rises from his seat. "It's merely a shame that we have no way to let Kyon know that we're doing what we can to assist from here."

I almost blurt out that I can just tell him tonight, but manage to bite my tongue before I let that secret go. I can still do it, of course, but explaining how... no, I don't want to let the rest of the Brigade know about that just yet, at least until I can have a long talk with Kyon about it, and while we're actually _in_ the dream isn't exactly the best setting for that.

My musing is interrupted by the click of the door closing behind Koizumi. Mikuru's already waiting next to the costume rack for him to exit, looking thoughtful; she seems to snap out of it a moment after I catch sight of her and starts changing back into her uniform without saying anything further.

While I wait for her to finish up and leave, I do a bit more digging around online to see what kind of information is available aside from the original articles I found. Unfortunately, there isn't much more; the villages are so small that they don't seem to merit much discussion in the news, and the only other tidbit I can find is that there has been communication with the village - apparently a couple of short-wave radios are working, and so they know that the village's school has been set up as a shelter of sorts. I have to wonder if Kyon is there, or if he's still staying with his family - I suppose there wouldn't be much reason for him to go to the school if his family's home was safe.

While I'm reading, I keep checking on Mikuru's progress; after scanning through the article that talks about the shelter, she's finally finished changing and left the club room. As expected, Yuki is still here, and still looking focused - I haven't seen her even touch one of her books all afternoon.

Once we're alone, though, I clear my throat to get her attention. "All right, Yuki - you look like you're worried about Kyon too."

She hesitates briefly, then nods wordlessly in reply.

"I'm telling you this since I think you'll agree - we are definitely still going to go up to Hinamizawa to help Kyon out." I fold my arms and lean back in my chair as I continue. "I can see that it makes Mikuru-chan and Koizumi-kun nervous, though, so we're going to keep this part of things under wraps until we're ready to go."

Given her usual quiet demeanor, I don't wait for an affirmative reply before I press on. "For now, I want you to work on that part - it's probably not going to be easy for us to make it into Hinamizawa if the roads are so bad or if it's still dangerous up there. What I need you to do is figure out how we get up there - how far can we go safely, how dangerous you think it'll be after that, what kind of supplies we'll need for the trip, how much it'll cost - as many details as you think you can put together.

"For now, keep your assignment to yourself. I'll want to know how hard this is going to be and get things ready before we spring it on the others. I don't expect Koizumi-kun to actually say no, but I can see that he's not terribly eager to do it either, and Mikuru-chan will definitely freak out at it. If they don't find out about it until it's already done and we're ready to go, there's that much less argument they can put up about it."

"Understood," Yuki replies, standing up and taking her bag. "I will provide you with further details tomorrow.

I nod in confirmation, but... honestly, while I can't say that she really looks agitated or upset given how stoic she is in general, this is about the most worked-up I think I've ever seen her - even when Kyon was in his coma she didn't seem this worried. Given that, and the fact that she's been more open with me about her own secrets - even if that isn't by very much - I decide to give away a _tiny_ bit of my own.

"And, Yuki..." I say, just as she's about to leave the room. "I can't tell you how, but I _will_ make sure that Kyon is all right as soon as I can, probably before anyone expects."

She pauses at that, but somewhat to my surprise doesn't actually question any further, just looking over her shoulder back at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Once I've gotten touch with him, I'll be sure to let you know how he's doing," I confirm, not meeting her gaze.

She gives me a final nod at that, then proceeds out of the club room.

I blow out a breath at that, then wipe my hands on my skirt. Kyon, you'd better be there tonight!


	7. The Inn at World's End

In Your Dreams - Chapter Seven

The Inn at World's End

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>After rubbing some sleep from my eyes and putting on some proper clothes, I stumble out of my borrowed room. I'm about as wakeful as I'll probably get until I can properly rest, so I trudge over to the living room. Aunt Rena is in the living room when I step in, comforting a tired and alarmed looking Yurie.<p>

I do forget sometimes that for her intelligence, she is just a child; a storm like this, and a hike up the hill in the rain would naturally frighten a girl her age. "There, there," Aunt Rena soothes. "Ah - Kyon-kun, I'm going to put Yurie-chan to bed with your sister; Shion-chan and Rika-chan should be coming by, soon, too."

I nod, too anxious to just wait. And I can't sleep, so that means no chance to contact Haruhi. The way things left off - _again_ - I'd like to call her, but at this hour? She'd tear my head off for being so inconsiderate!

A glance at the clock reveals that it's shortly after one in the morning; I'll need to wait until after sunrise before calling to be properly respectful of our Brigade chief. That plan in mind, I feel like Sasaki Kojiro, waiting for Miyamoto Musashi to show up for the duel. And much like that historical figure, I expect I will be defeated in our encounter.

Trying to distract myself from that, I go to the doorway and grab the winter coat my mother insisted I bring along. I didn't anticipate it would be needed, but in this weather, it seems more than justified. The blast of wind from the outside rattles the door when I slide it open, revealing a dark landscape-

Until a blinding flash of white crackles in the distant, momentarily lighting up the entire valley below Aunt Mion's place. The sheeting rain falls in brilliant curtains - which immediately turn into black walls surrounding the entire valley. The falling water is like a thousand tiny drums, almost deafening, until the rumble of thunder rattles the house behind me.

Nine seconds - that works out to about three kilometers away, I think. That's not even across the valley, really just to one side! It takes a few moments after the echoing thunder stops bouncing off the valley walls, but when it does, I hear a distant wail over the sounds of the storm.

It sounds like a child, so my first guess is that it's one of my cousins. I slip on my shoes and hurriedly rush out into the storm; there's only one road down to the village, so I don't think I'll get lost, but after a few steps, another flash of silent lightning behind me reveals the figures I'm looking for-

My heart _stops_.

Blue hair, sharply focused gaze, the glint of metal in one hand-

I can't help it; a scream of alarm escapes my throat and I almost fall over in my panic before the rest of her features absorb into my brain and I realize it's not... Not _her_. I recognize my aunt Rika before the next flash of lightning; she's standing next to me, giving the flashlight a firm shake to get it working again. I keep from sprawling into the mud, ironically both comforted and physically supported when Matsuri - wailing again - emerges from the darkness and glomps onto my leg. A moment later, her younger brother follows suit, both of them shaking as the thunder rumbles through.

"Is Kyon-kun alright?" Aunt Rika asks tiredly, giving me a curious look.

"Fine," I agree quickly; this is no time to be standing around staring like an idiot. "Uh- Matsuri, Shutaro, come on; let's get into the house."

"Good," Aunt Rika says, before they can answer. "I trust them in Kyon-kun's hands; I must go down to the shrine and warn anyone who seeks shelter there to go to the school. Matsu-chan, Shu-chan - you will both behave!"

Before I can answer, she turns away, flashlight still in hand, and walks into the darkness.

I don't care to stay out in the rain, and Matsuri's tears are far too genuine for me to ignore. I pick up Shutaro in one arm and manage to unwrap the girl's death-grip on my legs to lead Matsuri, too. She grasps my hand as though afraid that the wind and rain might blow her away. The light over the door is a beacon that I lead them toward; when I get there, Aunt Rena immediately bundles the pair of them up, clucking in worry.

I help Shutaro get himself dried off a bit. Aunt Rika dressed her children for the weather before coming out into the rain, but if there was an umbrella involved it must have blown away in the storm. Shutaro stops sniffling very quickly once we're inside, though both of the children shake as another nearby lightning strike shakes the house.

"Both of you," Aunt Rena sighs, shaking her head and giving a warm, but drawn smile. "Let's get those coats off and warm you up in the furo - then we'll put you to bed, alright?"

For a moment, I think that Matsuri will protest, but she nods, giving me a forlorn glance before following her aunt into the house.

Taking stock of the shoes, Aunt Satoko and Aunt Shion (and their children) are the only ones missing. This time, I have the foresight to grab a flashlight before stepping outside - though like Aunt Rika's, it needs a good shake before it lights up.

Properly armed this time, I step into the darkness, looking down the road for a glimpse of their own flashlights as they hike through the onslaught to the relative safety of Aunt Mion's home.

* * *

><p>Things quiet down a bit after Aunt Satoko and Aunt Shion finally bring their children in, and the cousins are too subdued to put up any real fuss. I'm mostly just pleased to be in from the rain, but I still can't help thinking of my uncles, out trying to help people evacuate, or work on the levees.<p>

Aunt Mion and Aunt Rika are out there, too.

Haunted by that reminder, Aunt Rena and I maintain a solemn vigil in the living room, responding to the occasional whimpering cousin in need of water, or wanting to be reassured because of the lighting. I had expected that Matsuri might complain a bit more after being settled in, but surprisingly enough the only one who emerges from the bedrooms and stays with us is Yurie.

Neither myself nor her mother begrudge the girl from curling up near Aunt Rena's side and falling asleep at the kotatsu with us. That does mean that I'm the one who has to go attend any of the children when they need help, but that little bit of activity is actually a welcome distraction on a night like this.

When the sun finally rises, sadly little light gets through the ominous curtain overhead. It's brighter - enough to see - but the wind has only died down a little, and the rain hasn't let up in the slightest. The only real promising sign is that the lightning strikes have tapered off somewhat.

Not long after sunup, naturally, the cousins begin to rouse - still subdued and more than a bit shaken, all things considered. I help keep an eye on them for a while until breakfast is ready. I'm not feeling hungry myself; I can get something to eat when I wake up.

More importantly, by the clock it's about half past eight in the morning - maybe a bit early to call Haruhi, but I'm tired enough to ignore that for now. Aunt Mion's instructions send me to Uncle Keiichi's office to ensure that no cousins interfere.

I suppose I should just be happy that the electricity and phone lines are still up, considering this weather.

Thinking that, I pick up the receiver at Uncle Keiichi's desk and dial. My eyes are drawn from the gloomy window to the screen-saver on his computer's monitor as I hear the phone ring once, and then-

There's an abrupt, very pronounced stillness as the phone goes utterly silent, along with all of the other electronics in the house. I can only blink dumbly at the suddenly blank monitor, and then tap the phone a few times.

So much for that thought... Even Haruhi will have to understand that the situation is beyond my control, won't she?

As I trudge down the hall to rejoin the others, I'm intercepted by a very tired Aunt Rena. "Satoko-chan, Shion-chan, and your mother will watch over the children," she tells me, rubbing at one eye sleepily. "Kyon-kun, you need to get some rest while you can; you've done a good job so far, but don't wear yourself out."

At that, I obediently trudge back to the guest bedroom I've been given, collapsing on the futon and almost immediately falling asleep.

* * *

><p>I wake up without recalling any dreams, once again being gently shaken awake- Though, this time it's by my mother.<p>

"What's going on?" I manage to groggily ask, sitting up. The rain is still drumming against the roof, but I don't hear the whistling wind. "Is it time to go home?"

My mother sighs and crosses her arms over her chest, giving a curt shake of her head. "I don't think so," she returns. "There was a mudslide, it seems. The base of the hill beneath the lines running power and phone service in from Okinomiya collapsed, so the main road out of town is blocked."

I blink the last of the sleep from my eyes and consider things. The only road into town? There are dirt back roads through the hills, but in the rain, they'll all be mud- I suppose it's possible to _walk_ the roads, but that doesn't seem to be a good idea at all.

She nods, satisfied that the enormity of the situation is settling in for me.

"We're trapped here?" I realize.

This is taking the idea of being stuck watching over my cousins to a whole new level!

But what can I do? Of all the people I know, I can't help but think all of them would be better able to handle this than I am. I don't have powers, or amazing abilities; there's really not anything I can do to help. If Haruhi were here, she'd...

If Haruhi were here, she wouldn't sit around and think about how terrible it was that she couldn't do anything! So I shake my head and ask, "What can I do to help?"

My mother blinks at me in surprise, but before she can answer, my aunt Mion leans in from the hall - looking utterly exhausted. "There is one thing," she says. "You deserve a break from watching over your cousins, but I wouldn't fault you if you passed on this one."

"What is it?" I ask. It can't be harder than cutting wood in the rain!

"We need to deliver some comfort supplies to those who are taking refuge in the school," she answers. "There's already food - but I have plenty of fresh tea."

She can see by my expression that I don't think much of the task, and shifts her shoulders in a shrug. "That's half of it, though. Among other things, the school has a short-wave radio. Since we don't have much contact other than trying to cross to Okinomiya by foot ... well, if you could bring that here, we could keep in touch better."

"It would be nice, but it's not the most important thing in the world," my mother counters, shooting Aunt Mion a worried look. "The Department of Public Works and the J.S.D.F. have been notified, so help should still be coming. It's fine for you to stay here, Kyon-kun."

I'd rather do something than nothing, though! What would I tell Haruhi - that I ran and hid from a challenge?

"I'll do it," I agree, climbing up from my futon and shaking my head.

"Thank you, Kyon-kun," Aunt Mion says with a tired smile, giving me a nod before she yawns. "Ah- I need to rest while I can; your aunt Satoko should give you something to eat and show you where the tea is. Be very careful, now, alright?"

"_Very_ careful," my mother agrees, instead of arguing that I should stay where I am.

* * *

><p>It wasn't the best sleep in the world, but it was enough rest to see me through the downhill trudge to the school. Considering that some people are out of their homes just now, I can't complain. A breakfast of Aunt Satoko's udon, thanks to the gas heating, gives me enough energy to keep going after the unrestful sleep that I've gotten so far.<p>

A sturdy but worn backpack from the depths of Aunt Mion's house holds the tea I'm shuttling down to the school. The winds are still too rough to try bothering with an umbrella, so the bundled tea was preemptively wrapped in plastic bags; Aunt Rena's idea - but they'll also keep the radio dry once I start hauling it back up the hill.

I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea, but it's whole worlds better than doing nothing. From Aunt Mion's mountainside home, I should have a good view of the village below. I would, too, if it weren't for the constant downpour!

The houses are all dark, with the power out, but I can make out the shape of the school before I hit the lowest stretch of the journey. Even the rain channels on the side of the road are uncomfortably full of runoff, though; the waterwheel on the millhouse connected to that channel is turning quickly, the wooden stop placed to block it broken by the water pressure.

The excitement of getting out of the house and being active is quickly subdued at this reminder of how difficult things are for some families. Quite obviously most of the homes in the village are fine, and it's the outlying areas that are more at risk. But with the rain still falling, how much worse will it get?

Properly in a somber mindset, I clear the low stretch and start the hike up the much shorter slope to the school. Through the still-intense rainfall, I can just make out the sound of a generator running - so at least there's that.

I pass through the gate, but stop inside the entryway- I'm fairly soaked, even with the coat, and my shoes feel heavier from all the mud stuck to them. "Hello?" I call cautiously, not wanting to deal with cleaning them even enough to remove, just at the moment.

When I don't get a reply right away, I add, "I brought tea!"

...that was dumb. I wanted to feel helpful, somehow, but now I just feel silly, if no one answers.

Before I can think about that further, Aunt Rika steps into the entryway, offering me a wan smile. "Aaah," she says, looking just as exhausted as Aunt Mion did. "I'm happy that Kyon-kun made it safely! If you give me that bag, I'll pack the radio for you; I wish I had something nicer to reward Kyon-kun's effort!"

"Ah, I'm just glad to help," I answer quickly, shaking my head and removing the backpack.

She chuckles as she accepts it, nodding. "The smallest things can provide comfort in trying times! You're doing good work- Now I'll hurry, so you don't need to spend any more time waiting to change into something dry than you have to."

"Thanks," I mumble in response, feeling my face heat up at the encouragement.

She chuckles again, then vanishes back into the school building. It takes hardly any time at all for her to return, huffing at the effort as she hands the same bag back, but obviously much heavier. "I'm going to rest here," she adds, yawning. "Sorry to send Kyon-kun away alone; give Shu-chan and Matsu-chan my love~!"

I agree to do that, checking the bag quickly and wincing at the weight. A full radio weighs almost thirty kilos! Aunt Rika had already wrapped it in plastic bags, so even if I get soaked through, the equipment should be fine. Seeing that, I close the pack up and pull it onto my shoulders, giving my aunt one last wave before marching out into the rain.

The rain is worse and the load is heavier, but this hearkens back to a trek down and then back up the hill to school - burdened with a heater. Having the weight on my back instead of in my arms helps a bit, even if I have to keep my head bowed to keep the pelting water droplets out of my eyes.

Of course, it's a long enough walk down to the flat section of the road, where I actually have to cross the rain run-off and walk on the edges of the flooding rice-paddies. The slight embankments at this point are a bit firmer than the muddy dirt paths. I can switch back to climbing up the slope to Aunt Mion's house...

I might pause to rest for a bit if I weren't alone in a world of falling water and gusting winds. The idea of getting back into a warm house and drying off is ample motivation, and I think I have to aknowledge that the hill leading to school has hardened me quite a bit. This hike isn't nearly as bad, even if I do have the extra weight of the radio on my back!

By the time I round the final bend in the path, watching the rivulets of rain runoff carve slowly growing gouges in the dirt road, I'm really looking forward to finishing this task. Of course, I'm also glad that I've managed to accomplish at least _something_ in the face of this disaster. Really, there's not much point calling it anything else, is there?

When I get to the door, my mother is waiting in the entryway, looking relieved to see me. Behind her are my sister and Matsuri, both of them restrained by Aunt Satoko, with Yurie as the more well-behaved cousin behind them. "Kyon-kun," my mother greets, smiling warmly. "Set that bag down; we'll handle it. Take your shoes off and go straight to the bath!"

"I'll help!" Matsuri volunteers. "I'll wash your back!"

...not the reward I was hoping for.

"No, you won't," Aunt Satoko counters. "Silly Matsu-chan! Let Kyon-kun relax alone for a bit after that hard work!"

I try to ignore Matsuri's pout, setting the now-dripping bag on a folded towel that was prepared in advance. At a glance the power and phone lines must still be down - the entryway is lit by a battery-powered lantern, and I can see the flicker of candles from the living room.

After slipping my shoes off and leaving them on a plastic bag in the entryway, I gladly stumble toward the bathroom. Dropping off the weight of that load leaves me feeling a bit unbalanced, though I have to wonder how much weight the water in my garments adds. Coat or not, my clothing is soaked through completely.

There's another battery-powered lantern in the changing room, so after I throw my wet clothes in a pile, I gladly move on to the washroom proper, hanging the light-source from a dangling overhead hook. Power outages aren't that rare in bad weather here, so that spares me having to figure out where to put the lantern to keep it dry.

I hear the exterior door open, and my sister chirp, "Clean clothes for Kyon-kun~!" before she giggles and dashes away.

Then it's time to slip into the gas-heated furo and soak for a bit. My muscles haven't tightened up enough to really protest, but the soothing heat is pleasant anyway, and chases away the chill that's seeped through me from the long walk.

Not long after I get out of the bath, my father and Uncle Keiichi return, both of them glum and exhausted. I suppose the effort I put into things doesn't hold a candle to what they've been through. After they warm up a bit themselves, they have some tea and soup, explaining about the work on the levees. It won't affect the village below us immediately, and the dam itself is holding, so that's a vast reassurance.

They did manage to reinforce one of the failing levees with sand-bags, and then evidently moved a piece of construction machinery in. From there, even though it wouldn't measure up to proper repair standards, they were able to dump several tons of earth in to build up the breakwater, reinforcing the structure enough that everyone was confident it would still hold.

Another levee was reinforced somewhat, but only enough to buy the families that lived below it time to evacuate. The third, Uncle Keiichi explains unhappily, was a lost cause. At least no one was hurt, and there may arguably be some good that there's a drain for the water building up in the reservoir, but that's small consolation to those who lost property.

I can see both my father and Uncle Keiichi aren't exactly thrilled about losing as much as they have, but both of them are too worn out to stay up long after finishing their soup. Even though I haven't done much the entire day, I'm still pretty tired myself.

The sun set around the same time that they came back, so it's early enough to go to bed. Just a little bit, the rain is finally tapering off, as well. Hopefully in the morning, things will be a bit better. I remember before I turn in for the night to pass Aunt Rika's concern for her children on to them, which Shutaro accepts solemnly, and Matsuri tries to pretend is from me instead of her mother.

After that, it's time to try and sleep again - hopefully to dream and let Haruhi know what's going on.

* * *

><p>I'm woken in the early morning to something it takes me a few minutes to place- But I realize what it is very quickly. After this long, it's the absence of raindrops pelting the roof - a sound I haven't heard since the brief break a while back. Hopefully this one lasts much longer.<p>

After I sit up and finish rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I groggily realize that I was still too tired to dream. On the other hand, as bad as things got, now that the weather's cleared, this is the last day of vacation. That undoubtedly means my parents are going to pack up and retreat; my mother, at least, is not terribly flexible about missing school.

Even though the eerie quiet tells me the weather's cleared, I still go to the window to check; the overcast sky is rent in several places like a torn war-banner, letting streaks of blue sky show. More pleasantly, the bright light of the sun spears through one of the gaps, finally working to dispel some of the gloom that's settled from the storm damage.

When I come out to the living room, I see that the power is still out. Thankfully the gas lines are still intact, so there's warm food - and for my father and Uncle Keiichi, hot coffee. I don't even bother with the phone lines, as the last I checked, Uncle Keiichi's office had been converted into a temporary radio room. I can be glad that for all my effort, the radio not only worked, but has better reception from Aunt Mion's mountain-top home, as opposed to the school!

The cousins are a bit subdued despite the daylight, as it's still far too wet to do anything outside.

Before I can even ask, my mother steps in from the kitchen, raising an eyebrow at seeing me awake on my own and remarking, "Kyon-kun, considering the state of things, you should know we're staying in Hinamizawa for a while."

I blink in surprise at that, frozen halfway to reaching for a teacup on the table.

"It's really safer," Uncle Keiichi says apologetically, shaking his head. "The back roads aren't dry enough right now, and I'm really worried about getting caught up in people fleeing - the way things are, give it a few days for the J.S.D.F. and the Department of Public Works to get here. The main route is shut down because of the mudslide - probably for a few days at least. Last we checked, volunteers from Okinomiya are trying to get to it, but one of the burst levees still has active outflow that's making the road impassable between them and the blockage."

As if things weren't bad enough! I settle back, unable to keep the gloom of the situation from weighing down on me. Clear skies and awful news? I feel as though it's overcast all over again.

"We've raised them on the radio and help is on the way - we can expect the J.S.D.F. later today, probably; they'll airlift in some supplies to keep the village going," my father breaks in. "So it's not much, but since we have access to the mudslide from this side ... but even then, it's not safe to work on until it dries out at least a little.

"The point is - and Uncle Keiichi's right about this - we're safe here for now. We have supplies to last us until relief efforts arrive, and while it's not ideal, we're in a good position to help the community. As relatives of Mion-san - er, your aunt Mion - it helps reassure the villagers if we don't try and run away, too."

"I get it," I agree - though being entirely honest, there's no way I could really convince my family otherwise. What can I do? I can ask one critical question, I suppose: "I'm worried about my friends at school; with the phone lines down, how long will it be before I can let them know I'm alright?"

"Anyone's guess," Uncle Keiichi answers, giving me a sympathetic shake of his head. "Since we've got the radio for emergencies, that kind of communication is lower priority. It'll probably be restored before power, but that could be a week or more, easily. Still - hopefully we'll have access to Okinomiya within a week. I'm sure your friends will understand that the circumstance is entirely out of your control."

All but one of them will, I'm sure. I'm not looking forward to the penalties that will be assigned me for missing this much time with the Brigade, that's for certain. But being fully honest, even if it's nice that I've met her in my dreams...

I want to see the Brigade once more; I want to be with my friends again in the real world. That thought in mind, I nod my understanding, restraining my frustration and worry to a faint sigh. We're really trapped here, then, stuck out in the country...

It doesn't take long before Uncle Keiichi and my father both head out to see what they can do around the village with the other uncles, leaving me behind to help the aunts watch over the children. That's probably the limit of what I can do to help, though - so considering the severity of the situation, I'd better do the best job that I can. After rainfall of practically biblical proportions, and the rising energy of the cousins cooped up inside I feel almost like I'm aboard an ark with a pair of each of them!

That's fine, though; I've slept enough over the last two days that I'm certain I'll be able to capture lucid dreaming again tonight. At least I'll be able to tell Haruhi that way.

* * *

><p>After a draining day of watching over the cousins, I come to realize I'm dreaming in the same situation that I first encountered Haruhi - the empty club room. My reality checks confirm that this is a dream, so I immediately rise from my seat and look around.<p>

It really hasn't changed much; I get the impression that it seemed somehow ... faded and dull until I paid attention to it, but it seems fine when I look closely. The club room isn't the important part, though, so thinking of Haruhi - and not those strange dream versions of her - I go to the door and use my door trick.

The first thing that happens is that I open the door from my copy of the club room to that mountaintop where I last saw her. I get a more pronounced instance of that sense of ... fuzziness from the surroundings before I look and they sharpen considerably.

That's strange...

Looking around the environment, it still seems as it was when Haruhi battled the computer research society president - even down to the hole in the clouds that she punched when she reached for the moon. That's an odd thought.

I set it aside for later, concentrating on Haruhi - the real one, not some copy with an imitation of her armband. The door next opens to empty sky. I almost take a step out, but a drop of height from what seems to be far, far too high up in the atmosphere stops me. I'm sure Haruhi would be comfortable with an environment like this in her dreams! Edging as close to the door as I dare, I can peek out and make the edges of some blue metal surface - so the door is evidently _in_ something, but I can only really just _glimpse_ the edge of a planet's curvature from my position.

That's a bit much for me, and there's still no sign of Haruhi through the doorway, so I quickly shut it and back away again- Actually, as confusing as _that_ was, I stop myself from scurrying away and quickly turn it to something else. Haruhi's familiar with the Yonaguni Monument, so I think about where it is and open the door-

Then I freeze like an idiot, because I was thinking of the view of it from underwater, and the other side of the door is a wavering wall of the stuff. It doesn't break or flood into the room, and I make myself think things through. It's a dream, after all.

I could easily breathe underwater, or fly... And if I'd thought about that earlier, I wouldn't have needed to be so frightened of that tower. Still, to prove it myself, I step through the doorway - it's right before the fairly well known 'turtle' formation on the top of the massive stone structure.

After that, I'm floating comfortably, breathing underwater. I don't even feel cold! The lighting is unreasonably good considering where I am; I feel like I can see everything I recognize from the various websites I've checked out about it.

I try to imagine what it would be like if we'd actually gotten to come here for the vacation. Actually, I suppose it would be too stormy for us to dive and explore the ruins. That doesn't prevent the image of Koizumi happily babbling on about the history of it to Asahina-san and Nagato from forming in my mind, though. I keep images of them from manifesting in the dream around me; I don't think I'd like leaving them behind here.

I suppose it would have been fun if we really could have done it... Haruhi would probably have enjoyed it, and I could see us discussing the idea of it being natural or man-made while enjoying island cuisine afterward, too. Of course, if I wanted to know, I could just ask Nagato, but that would take all the fun out of it. Somehow, I really like the idea of listening to one specific member of the Brigade muse on what she thinks it might really be instead.

Maybe I can bring Haruhi here later; somehow, this doesn't feel like a place she's been yet. At least, I can't see her here. I swim back to the doorway that's just sitting in the ocean, and float gently to the ground of the clifftop. I notice that I'm conveniently completely dry, too.

Well ... the trick I used to find her last time doesn't seem to be working. Maybe she's just not dreaming tonight? So ... if Haruhi's not around for me to find, which seems to be the case, what next? What else can I do here? A written message would hardly work, would it?

Then again... Nagato had mentioned that Haruhi had created a 'new space' of some sort, hadn't she? I wonder how far it goes beyond the bounds of traditional lucid dreaming. I know it goes far enough to let Haruhi and I meet, which I don't think is normally possible. I'm almost certain that the place where I am isn't something in my mind, or Haruhi's.

If she's not around, it couldn't be in hers, and too much of the stuff she's come up with isn't from me.

Does that mean ... that this place is still around, even if neither of us are dreaming it?

If that's the case...

The doorway to the club room is still behind me, just sitting on the clifftop and looking oddly both unnatural and as though it should be there - the way things sometimes do in dreams. I take the handle and close it, thinking of that version of Himeji Castle that Haruhi made.

When I look through the door - I'm taken aback. The scenery is a twisted jumble! The walls are all disproportionate and bowed out or in, like some surreal impressionist painting! The sense of grandeur that Haruhi put into it is still lingering, and as I watch the scenery seems to slowly be twisting itself back into some semblance of proper shape. Even so, I think it's safe to surmise that it didn't precisely 'survive' that well since we'd seen it last.

So, why were the clifftop and club room in so much better shape? Or ... had they gotten out of alignment and been restored when I focused on them? Then again, there was another possibility, too!

I close the door and focused on the version of the castle that I had tried to make that took Haruhi's image and my own together. This time when it opens, the fuzziness and lack of focus is much less severe. That's something!

It seems if we both work together on something, it will persist!

Of course, what I see when I open the door validates that theory. This instance of the castle is wavering a lot less, and firms up as soon as I look at it.

So! Haruhi made an area of shared _persistent_ dreams!

How can I use this to leave a message for her? As far as she seems prone to wandering in her dreams, where can I be sure she'd even find such a thing?

I step into that alternate Himeji Castle - we did both work together on it, after all - and spend a short while exploring it. This time, I'm not haunted by storming rainclouds, at least. I stop in the same archway where I found myself shrinking last time, and contemplate.

I don't have any particular reason to think that Haruhi would come back here, though. I need to explain my discovery to her, first, and I can't do that until we meet up again. Really, before all that, I want to let her know that I'm trapped in Hinamizawa.

I nod decisively and open the nearest gate into her Greek palace. This place ... is also very wavery, but not nearly as much as her copy of the castle. I wonder if that means she's been here recently?

Like all of my lucid dreams so far, there aren't any other people around. No harpist, no one holding a tray of grapes... Well - if Haruhi comes here in her dreams, I can hope she'll visit it again even if I'm not around. That thought in mind, I study the reaches of the room.

While the area is grand, it's also got a certain lack of real details... I hope she doesn't mind, but by concentrating and looking away, I make the tiles of the floor form a grand mosaic - her Brigade logo from the website. The modified one, not her original, just in case that's a problem. The columns and pillars receive some minor upgrades - more ornate bases and some hooks higher up, holding small pans of burning oil for light. Some nearby urns are revised with images I think Haruhi would get a kick out of - her most recent victory over the computer research society president primarily.

Instead of leaving it at that, I throw in her standing up to the student council president for Nagato's sake, as well, but stop myself before I go too much further. There's got to be room for more trophies, as well, and while I could probably spend all night making such images, I really shouldn't go _too_ overboard.

Now, that alone should send _something_ of a message, but how do I explain the Hinamizawa situation? Even if I've refined the place by adding to what she's made, hopefully making it more solid and persistent...

I could try and make a mural of it, but the idea is a bit complicated, and a Grecian mural of me moping behind floodwaters seems silly. There's also the possibility that these details are too subtle and she'll miss them if she's busy looking for something more interesting.

If her divan in the center of the room is a focal point, I could leave something there, couldn't I?

A few ideas go through my head, and one finally sticks with me. I'd probably die if word of it got to the waking world, but it should send a message to Haruhi well enough. I have no real confidence in my ability to make a tape recorder or something like that, but thinking of one of Shutaro's toys, I craft a replica of one of them - by looking away and imagining it resting on her cushions.

I test it once, wincing at how silly it may end up being after all ... but it's better than nothing.

And now that I've finished with that task, what else?

I suppose... I suppose with nothing better to do, I may as well relax. This is the closest I'll really get to time alone without having to deal with my cousins, or the disaster in Hinamizawa. That thought in mind, I go to the door I've left there, and open it to my bedroom.

It's exactly as I envision it, mostly. It's raining outside, a reminder of the situation I can't quite escape, but at least I can feel comfortable and relaxed in one of my favorite places. I don't really think about it until I try to turn on my television and game system, and they don't work.

Well, so much for that thought. Or, wait - maybe I'm just going around this the wrong way? That's probably it.

I look away and concentrate, envisioning what I want - not that game I've been working on. This is a dream, so I may as well take a page from Haruhi's book and go all out! When I look back, the screen is on, showing me the bright, colorful display of a shiny new game.

I start to reach for the controller, then stop myself. Why stop there?

I merely concentrate, and the cursor on the screen switches over to the 'new game' prompt.

Almost immediately, my surroundings melt away - really melt away! - and I find myself standing in a meadow before the gates of a small village. The wall is wooden, and neatly uniform; I see a repeating pattern of five posts, copied and pasted repeatedly in a line. The grass waves uniformly, with three different types of flowers for variety, all of them identical to one-another except for color.

Scanning around, a screen of identical trees blocks progress in all directions except for the town itself.

That's pretty typical for these games, though.

Well - nothing for it. I check myself out a bit - I appear to be wearing a cape (Haruhi would approve), and have a sword on my back that's roughly the size of a door, and should weigh two or three times what I do. I pull it out experimentally, and it weighs practically nothing.

That's not too shabby. I put it back and march to the gates, which open up as I approach.

As soon as I step through, I'm confronted with a maze of perfectly cube-shaped crates slightly higher than I am tall. Between me and them is a cleared area that looks somewhat like a market with around twenty villagers standing around. All but three of them are dressed identically, and bumbling around aimlessly.

I experimentally approach the nearest one and greet him, "Hello."

"There are many guards in the castle," he responds unhesitantly.

Not really unexpected. I try another non-player character and greet him, as well.

This time, the response is, "The king watches over us all!"

A few more experiments get me similarly empty bits of dialog. Well, that's a bit dull.

I go to the nearest person dressed differently, and try greeting him.

"Welcome to Tutoria!" he replies. "You're so fortunate! Today is our yearly celebration - the annual Festival of the Pushable Cube!"

I actually groan at that.

Really? _Really_? I put myself in a brand new exciting game, and the first thing I'm confronted with is the most annoying role playing video game cliche of all time - the _block puzzle_?

I almost start to get upset - I'm trapped in Hinamizawa in real life, and in my dream, when I want to play around, I'm confronted with...

But then, it clicks. Here, in the dream, I can actually _solve_ the puzzle. In the waking world, I'm stuck and can do nothing. So, my subconscious mind gives me something I can overcome to deal with instead?

I _was_ looking for a distraction, and playing a role playing game in a dream in first-person seems fun, but I don't actually want to fight monsters. That's too much effort after a day with the cousins; a puzzle is actually just the perfect thing, isn't it?

Well, in these games you usually view things from above, not the eyes of the main character. The book Haruhi had me read actually had some tips on this, though - or at least, something that would apply anyway. So, I concentrate, and quickly enough I drift out of my body, my viewpoint floating up and looking down.

My body is below me, and from above ... this is a surprisingly devious puzzle. I think this may beat that nasty block puzzle in Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals!

Below me, my body adopts a grin and marches ahead at my direction, grabbing the first block and preparing to slide it forward.

I pretty much lose myself in the soothing pattern of determining which blocks I can move to progress though the field, and there's no real sense of time passing anyway. All the same, I finally finish the puzzle - which is funny, because it covers far more area than the houses the villagers are supposed to live in does - and have to admit a sense of satisfaction. It may only be an obstacle I set myself, but at least I've defeated it!

Before I can head towards the exit and explore the rest of the village, I can feel myself drifting - waking up.

The book Haruhi gave me had tips to overcome that and stay in the dream, but this time, I don't bother fighting it - I've finished for the night, and there's nothing further to be gained by staying here.

* * *

><p>Morning's least pleasant surprise, after another wash in the gas-heated furo, is delivered before I can get to the breakfast table. The cousins are all gabbing among themselves, enjoying their time together despite the mood. It's Aunt Rika who stops me in the hall before I can head for some of the waiting food, poking one finger into my chest and arresting my motion.<p>

"Kyon-kun," she says, looking curiously distracted, "I wonder what was with that expression when I dropped Matsu-chan and Shu-chan off two nights ago?"

It takes me a moment to realize she's referring to the flash of lightning that had lit her up and... How can I explain that for a heartbeat, she looked like the psychotic alien who had tried to kill me twice before? "I...it was ... the lightning," I start lamely.

She nods, looking less than convinced, then shakes her head, her distraction fading as her gaze focuses on me. "Miii..." she sighs, making another of her nonsense noises. "Kyon-kun's been doing a good job helping out with the cousins; today, Satoko-chan and Rena-chan are going to give them school assignments, because the school building is occupied."

That makes sense - and I won't complain about the break from watching over them, myself!

"Kyon-kun doesn't have to do schoolwork, but should be a good role-model and make sure he shows them to behave by looking busy! Maybe even with something that looks like a textbook, but is more interesting to Kyon-kun?" she suggests, a smile coming to her lips. "Satoko-chan and Rena-chan would appreciate the help, and a troublemaker - no matter how cute - like Matsu-chan would be better behaved, for that~!"

I ... can't think of any arguments to counter that. I do at least have the advantage of not actually having to _do_ schoolwork, though. More importantly, if I try to fight it, I'm positive my mother will have me _actually_ doing busywork from the books I brought up for my Golden Week homework anyway.

Somewhat resigned to the way things are going to have to be, I nod. "I understand," I agree, sighing.

"And then to stretch Kyon-kun's legs - when it's time for a break, Kyon-kun can get some fresh air by delivering lunch to Kei-chan and the uncles~!" she affirms, nodding again. "They're working on clearing out the mudslide - shuu, shuu~!" In her typical way, she finishes with a sound effect for shoveling, I guess, and beams me a bright smile.

"Got it," I reply, managing a sincere smile. While she's silly, she's right that I won't really mind doing another delivery run. Well, there's the 'fetch quest' I managed to avoid dealing with in my dream last night, I guess. It's hard to stay down too much with her cheerful disposition confronting me; seeing me smile back, she allows one last nod of approval before kissing her children farewell and heading back down to the school building.

The lucid dreaming textbook does look just like any other text book, and the cousins didn't recognize the kanji before, so it should be fine. I guess it could give me more of a chance to look for differences between the state of the place Haruhi made for us, and lucid dreaming proper.

That thought in mind, when I go to the table, it's armed with that same book. Only Yurie seems to muse over the cover ... but if she recognizes one or two characters, there's no furigana for her to decipher the rest. And, anyway, even Aunt Rika said it would be fine.

"Mm," Yurie muses after breakfast, tapping her lower lip. "Kyon-nii is smiling - did he have a good dream last night, I wonder, I wonder?"

I guess she can recognize the character for 'dream' at least... Well, that's still not a problem. "Just a dream about playing a video game," I answer, to my mother's fond sigh of exasperation.

She giggles at that, and then Matsuri launches into another bid for my attention.

* * *

><p>While I do manage to read more of the book that Haruhi assigned to me, I spend a lot of the 'class' session actually being pulled into helping my cousins and my sister with their lessons. Hinamizawa's school building only hosted a single mixed class for all years anyway, so for my cousins this isn't terribly different from actually attending normally. Evidently, the few older students end up spending much of their time tutoring the younger children.<p>

Because of that, I end up skipping around through the book a little. I'm mostly looking for things to try - things the book tells me are difficult or don't happen often. I have to wonder how many differences there are between 'proper' lucid dreaming, and this thing that Haruhi's set up.

Though, when I do figure out things that should be different, given the fact that Haruhi gave this book to me in the first place ... should I point it out to her? Well ... I haven't been able to give her many clues that have been really helpful, and I _do_ want to help her in some way ... so I probably really should.

Those thoughts weigh on my mind, a metaphorical counterpart to the now-familiar backpack filled with supplies as I begin the trudge down from Aunt Mion's once more. It has to weigh as much as the radio, it's so packed - and I suppose I should be happy that the hill has trained my body to be able to handle an assignment like this. Well, the hill and a certain Brigade chief.

By the time I set out, the cloud cover is gone, and the valley is heavy with the silent stillness that follows a storm.

I can hear the occasional bird chirping, but more, just the sound of my own footsteps. The sun has dried the dirt paths out a little, but there are still puddles and large patches of mud. I can see the tracks of my father and the uncles, and use those to determine the best route.

The village's main row hasn't flooded, and smoke from the chimneys tells me that the people in those houses are still home. From there, it's onto the firmer footing of the paved road, and a gentle upslope on the path toward Okinomiya. All told, it's about three kilometers to the mudslide.

The road is fairly typical for these mountainous regions. I hadn't paid much attention when we were coming into the village, but now that I'm on foot, I have a lot more time to look around. To my left is a steep slope, about a dozen meters of forested earth before a muddy footpath. I could climb down easily enough, but getting back up would be a trial - and there's no reason to go down there anyway. After the footpath, another drop-off leads to one of the tributaries, raised from a tiny stream into a respectable river, thanks to all the rain.

That adds a lot of perspective; I haven't seen more than torrential rain, but it's my first visual cue of the flooding. A tree branch, with one limb thrust into the air, like a desperate hand reaching for help, shoots through the rapidly flowing water. With that measure of just how fast the water is flowing, I move away from the edge of the road, and to the right - the side of the mountains that this road cuts through.

The scenery on the other side of the road is actually a sheer, concrete wall - slabs stacked up to protect the road from ... well, mudslides and erosion. Being closer to the reinforcement puts me in the shadow of the trees and shrubbery overhead, and limits my ability to see ahead.

Even so, there's no reason to get closer to the slope that leads to the river, is there?

I hear the people working on it before I round the bend in the road, calling to one-another and chatting. There's no sounds of machinery, which makes me wonder what happened to the equipment that Uncle Keiichi mentioned was used to reinforce a levee. It must be on the Okinomiya side of the blockage, I guess.

I do step around the curve, and quickly falter to a stop. I've seen pictures of mudslides before, and when I didn't think they were covered well in elementary school science classes, had looked up more information about them myself. Since Nishinomiya doesn't have much risk for it, it's not something that's focused on much. None of those pictures really helped prepare me for the magnitude of it, though.

When I heard 'mudslide,' I expected something like a pile of mud, maybe even broken segments of the concrete retaining wall. What I actually _see_ looks more like ... well, a new ridge of the mountain that just happens to run directly across the road. The concrete retaining wall actually may be intact beneath all of that - it appears the slide started further up the mountain and then just flowed down. There's remarkably little foliage or branches sticking up from the mud, though quite ominously, probably only two dozen meters above the slide - that I can't even see the far side of - is the twisted wreckage of the power and phone lines' support tower.

I have a moment of fear for the cables, but then realize they must be dead already; someone would have noticed the lines were down, and cut the power accordingly. I shake myself from my stunned staring. Uncle Keiichi and the other uncles - and a good dozen men from the village - are carefully digging away at the mounded soil. They're working from the top down to avoid further collapses, and I'm a bit surprised at how dry this mud already seems, compared to the paths I walked on from Aunt Mion's place.

Still... A makeshift camp has been set up on the road, a fallen log pulled to one side to make a bench. Someone's set out a collapsing table, covered with spare shovels, picks, ropes, and a small stack of hard-hats. I'm a bit surprised to see that someone's hauled an ancient yatai up from the village, too.

The cart looks hand-made, probably usually only dragged out for festivals before this - it's abandoned at the moment, but when they recognize me, one of the nearer men waves and jogs over to it. It takes him only a few minutes to open the cart up and transform it into a functional kitchen. Taking that cue, I'm glad to unload the heavy backpack and set it on the counter.

I don't remember his name - or if we've even met before - but before I can try to figure out a proper introduction, Uncle Keiichi is at my side, pounding me on the back with one hand and grinning. "Taiso, this is my nephew, Kyon," he introduces me, destroying any chance of me getting my proper name out.

Oh, well.

"Kyon," Uncle Keiichi continues, "this is Suzuki Taiso-san; he has a home out here, but usually works in Okinomiya. If we had the ingredients, I guarantee you, he would prepare the best takoyaki you've ever had!"

Suzuki-san chuckles at the praise, but doesn't break from setting up his portable kitchen. Right after that, my father arrives and starts unloading things from the bag - handing them over to Suzuki-san to cook. "Lunch in about twenty minutes," he promises, setting his hard-hat down and putting on a proper bandana, then opening a compartment in the yatai to reveal a small sink.

By this point, all the other uncles and workers at the site have recognized the signal for a break. A glance shows someone else setting up a propane burner and preparing coffee, and the thermos of tea I brought with me is also quickly parceled out into cups.

"How are the kids?" my father asks. "Is your sister behaving?"

She and Yurie are probably the most well-behaved of the lot, really. "Everyone's fine," I assure him. "We had lessons in the morning, since school should be in session." I shake my head and look over to the blockage. Certainly, since it's a few meters deep, it's not going to be moved quickly - especially with nothing more than hand-tools. "How are things here?"

"Well," Uncle Keiichi says with a sigh, his smile fading, "there's an awful lot of mud. I can't even guess at the power- Probably, they'll need a new site further upslope, but who's to say? For getting the road clear, by hand it would probably take two months."

What a daunting task!

"Eh- It's not that bad," he adds quickly, on seeing my downcast expression. "I expect that it'll take maybe up to a week for the Department of Public Works to get real equipment here- In that time, we'll probably do as much work as they can in a single day."

"And that's one less day that they'll have to work in it to open up the road," my father adds. "Which is good - for all we know, the mudslide's damaged to road or the retaining wall beneath it."

I nod thoughtfully at that. It's better than nothing ... but not a far cry from the 'busywork' I was doing earlier. I suppose that's the best we can do in this situation though, isn't it?

My pointless, wandering thoughts are brought back to earth when Suzuki-san announces that the cooking is done, and starts serving out food for everyone. I watch for only a moment before Uncle Keiichi gently jostles me, remarking, "Come on - you eat too, Kyon! You've earned it after helping out by bring us lunch!"

"Ah, okay," I agree, joining him and the other uncles in line. Well, with any luck, I'll be able to reach Haruhi tonight. That's got to be better than relying on that 'message' that I came up with for her!


	8. Brief Lives

In Your Dreams - Chapter Eight

Brief Lives

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>I'm fully expecting to find myself dreaming tonight, and so the fact that I am comes as no real shock. I barely spend enough time to make my reality check before I reach up and turn the page, looking for Kyon - he'd <em>better<em> be here tonight!

The first check I make - the clubroom - comes up empty, and completely unchanged as far as I can see. I spend a few minutes waiting, but I'm too antsy to simply sit back and do nothing while Kyon gets here, so after a brief bout of pacing the length of the clubroom I turn the page again.

The next stop I make is what he showed me of Hinamizawa, although the landscape is blurred and indistinct, almost like I'm looking at it through fog - but the air is clear. I can only figure it's due to the fact that I don't know the place that well myself, but it does let me know that Kyon isn't here either - it'd probably be a lot more normal-looking if he was.

I try the palace next; there's nothing particularly special to mark it as somewhere he'd want to go, but it was the last place we both were in the dream, so it's worth checking out. When I get there, though, I'm a bit surprised - there's a ton of color and decoration now from what I remember being mostly plain while marble. The floor shows a mosaic of the SOS Brigade logo I made a while back, and there are a couple of decorated urns - a closer look at the nearest one shows a stylized female figure in armor reaching up and... grabbing the moon? Wait, is this from what happened in our last dream?

Well, if nothing else it proves that Kyon's _been_ here, even if he isn't here now! _I_ sure didn't put this here, and I can't imagine that it'd just pop up spontaneously!

It's enough to get me to stop and consider for a minute. Obviously Kyon isn't in any immediate danger if he was able to get into the dream after the last time we met up, which eases the pressure to find him right away. It strikes me that if I keep flipping around looking for him, he could end up doing the same looking for me, and it'll take longer for us to find each other if we do - sort of like running around in circles after each other.

Seeing that he's left signs he's been here is enough to make up my mind; I can settle down here and wait for him to arrive, since now I'm a bit more certain that he _will_ find me. With that decided, I head over to my couch to settle down - and stop dead as I catch sight of what Kyon left in it. I fight a smile as I pick it up off the seat: a large plush doll dressed in a male Kitago uniform, with shaggy brown hair and an unimpressed, almost bored expression that practically screams 'Kyon' at me. I give into the urge and grin as I pick it up. When I turn it over I notice that there's a plastic ring in the back - a pull-string? I yank on the string, hearing a slight click before the doll starts up:

"Yare yare," it says as the string slowly winds back into the toy, the voice a slightly scratchy reproduction of Kyon's.

I can't help but burst out in a fit of the giggles at that - it's like the essence of Kyon, right there! I'm just about to pull the string again when I'm interrupted by a sigh from behind me; I whirl around to find the _real_ Kyon standing there, a hand covering his face. "Kyon!" I bark out in surprise.

"It was _supposed_ to answer your questions just like I would, in case I couldn't make it here the next time you did," he explains shaking his head.

"Well, I didn't ask it anything, so it at least seems to have the 'acting like you' thing down perfectly," I retort with a smirk - but then, like a thunderbolt, the reason why I'm here looking for him comes crashing back. I don't want him to see how worried I was, though, so I keep my face steady as I shout at him. "And you! You'd better have a _really_ good explanation for missing the Brigade meeting today!"

He heaves another sigh at that, his shoulders slumping. "Yeah, I suppose I've got a penalty for that too," he replies glumly. "My whole family got trapped up here in Hinamizawa - there was a big mudslide that took out the phone and power lines and blocked the main road leading out of the village. My parents figured it was too risky for us to get out along the back roads, so we're staying put until they can get the main road cleared. We might be up here for another week or more."

That pretty much confirms what I saw online. "I _guess_ I can excuse you for that, then," I say grudgingly. "Being stuck up there with no power and all those cousins of yours is probably enough of a penalty anyway." I look away as I go on. "You're not... your family is all okay, I hope?"

He nods at that, looking slightly depressed. "Yeah, I haven't heard of anyone being hurt so far. My aunt Mion's house - where we've been staying - is up in the mountains, so there's no real danger of flooding here at least. My uncles have been working on reinforcing some of the levees, and seeing if they can clear the mudslide a little before the Department of Public Works arrives. Most of my aunts have come up here with the rest of my cousins, but one of them's staying in town at the school - that's where the main shelter for the village residents is."

"That's good, at least," I reply. "So what exactly are _you_ doing then? Helping your uncles?"

"Helping my aunts look after the cousins more, really," he answers, shaking his head. "No school, of course, since the actual school building is being used as a shelter, but we spent today working on their homework, mostly. I got a break to go visit my uncles at lunchtime, but even that was more of an errand - taking food down to the mudslide area. The JSDF actually airlifted some supplies in this afternoon, so we're not in any danger of running out of food or medical supplies any time soon, but it's still not much fun."

I can't help but frown a bit at that. "Well, if you're just working on schoolwork anyway, I guess I can give you our assignments when we meet here. Not the most exciting thing in the world, but at least if you're able to keep up with them on your own you won't have a huge pile of make-up work to do when you finally _do_ get back."

The prospect doesn't seem to excite him much, not that I can actually blame him for that. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbles. "Just means my sister gets a free pass, since everyone else will have things they really do need to work on."

I think about that for a minute; he's right that it doesn't seem exactly fair, but hell - her school is here, maybe I _can_ do something? It's better than letting him sit and stew, at least. "Maybe I can - I'll just need her school and class information, I'll see what I can do."

He seems a bit taken aback at that for a minute. "I'm not sure whether to say 'thanks' or ask you not to take the trouble," he finally manages.

"I'm going to do it anyway!" I retort. "I'm sure not letting _you_ fall behind and end up with a mountain of make-up work that'll interfere with Brigade activities, so you're not getting off the hook yourself - but you're right, it doesn't mean your sister should be the only one who gets to goof off!"

He just chuckles at that. "All right, I'll go with the 'thanks', then." He sighs, shaking his head. "Anyway, rather than dwelling on how dull things are up here at the moment, what have you been up to?"

"Compared to dealing with mudslides and floods, not really all that much," I reply, shrugging. "Although I've gotten some more investigating done since the last time we talked."

"Investigating?" He gives me a puzzled look at that, and that's when I realize that I haven't actually let him know what happened after he told me to talk to Yuki.

That prompts me to grin before I continue. "I guess I hadn't told you yet," I drawl. "You remember that you told me to talk to Yuki since you couldn't tell me about Mikuru-chan, right?" Without bothering to wait for his assent, I continue on. "Well, she told me _she_ couldn't give me a straight answer either - but that she figured I'd be able to work it out on my own.

"She couldn't help me directly, but she said she'd run interference for me - make sure that no one got in the way of me looking into it myself." I shrug. "Doesn't seem like much, but at least she's not opposed to it."

Kyon looks a bit worried at that. "Um... actually, I think that might be a little bigger than you think," he says slowly. "I hope she'll be all right doing that."

That prompts me to raise an eyebrow. "What, there's that many people that would want to stop me?"

"Kind of," Kyon hedges.

That definitely gets my interest! Although if he couldn't tell me anything before, I doubt he's going to say much more about it now. "Well, she did ask me to promise I'd help her out if she got in trouble with it, and of course I will." I shrug.

He seems to be mostly placated by that, nodding in reply as he takes a seat on the edge of the couch. "That's... good," he replies. "So you've been working on that, then?"

"Yeah!" I grin fiercely, but then my expression falls as I realize what part of that investigation involved. "Oh... yeah. I should probably fill you in before you hear some stupid rumor about part of it, too - well, not that you'd hear anything until you got back anyway."

"Rumor? Why would I hear a rumor?"

I sigh, looking away. "Because I went out to a cafe with Koizumi-kun to try to pump him for information, and that idiot Taniguchi saw us there. It was obvious he thought we were out on a date or something."

Kyon snorts at that. "I can't see that at all. Either you asking him out on a date, or saying yes if he was the one that asked you."

"Exactly!" I retort, putting my hands on my hips. "But yeah, since it was actually Taniguchi that saw us - and the two of you hang out sometimes - I have a feeling he's going to hit you with that as soon as you get back."

"Thanks for letting me know," Kyon says, a faint smile on his face. "So... did you at least find anything out about Koizumi with that?"

"Yeah, I finally got more information about that 'part-time job' of his," I answer, starting to pace back and forth in front of the chaise where Kyon's sitting. "He supposedly helps out an elderly uncle of his with a bookstore, up at the north edge of the shopping district."

"Oh really," Kyon says, raising an eyebrow.

"What, you didn't _know_?" I shoot him an incredulous look. "You made it sound like you already knew all this stuff about the others!"

He sighs at that. "I know what his _actual_ 'part-time job' is, but I don't know what he'd tell _you_ it was," he explains.

I smirk triumphantly at that. "Well, thanks for confirming that it's just a cover story, then - although I'd already guessed that much. Mikuru-chan and I went to check out that bookstore yesterday, and it really looked fishy, for sure!"

"Well, if Nagato's already helping - and she told you to investigate on your own - I can't really refuse to do the same," Kyon admits, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose the best advice I can give you is to stick with looking into Koizumi, mostly - I seriously doubt you'd find out much by watching Asahina-san or Nagato directly. Even knowing what their secrets _are_, I'm not sure what I could tell you to look for to figure those out for yourself, other than just paying attention to what they say and do."

"Hmm... well, I already got a hint about Yuki, sort of. I didn't even realize she _was_ hiding something until I went over to see her a couple of days ago and ran into Kimidori-san at her apartment. She was saying something about Yuki being forbidden to investigate something, although I didn't hear much about what it was." I shake my head at that. "She told me that Kimidori-san was a cousin of hers, and that she literally _couldn't_ say much more than that."

"That's... probably true," Kyon says, sounding rather uncomfortable. "Anyway, I probably shouldn't say any more, just... as I said, I'd stick to looking into Koizumi, you've got better odds of finding things that look off about his situation than the others. The one other thing I'll say directly is that none of the others' secrets are anything _bad_, just things they don't want you to know about."

"All right, fine," I grumble, stopping to turn and look at him. A blaze of color catches my eye, and I startle a bit - then realize it's just the door Kyon apparently used to come in, leading back to the clubroom.

He turns to look, apparently wondering what surprised me, then relaxes when there's nothing too unusual. "Oh, uh... sorry, forgot to close the door behind me, I guess."

"Not that big a deal, I just wasn't expecting it is all," I reply offhandedly. "You know, for a few minutes there I actually forgot that we were dreaming - sitting here and talking to you like this, it could be just like something we'd do in the real world. _That_," I add, pointing to the doorway, "is definitely not something that could show up for real."

He gives me a blank look at that. "We're in an ancient Greek temple with frescoes of the SOS Brigade's activities in it. You forgot you were dreaming?"

"I don't always pay that much attention to the details when my mind is on something else!" I retort. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. If you've been dreaming trying to catch me here you should probably get some regular sleep, especially if you've got to deal with your cousins running you ragged during the day. Let me get your sister's school details, and next time I see you here I'll have assignments for you both to work on."

He just nods at that, giving the information about his sister's classes. I do my best to remember it so I can write it down after the dream is over, then I pass over our own assignments - there's not much since most of the day was just review after Golden Week, but math homework never ends. After getting his own information, Kyon disappears - presumably waking up or getting back to more normal sleep.

Before I do the same, I look back at the door - still standing open to the Brigade room even though Kyon's gone. It might not be possible for him to just open a door and come back to Nishinomiya, but it would be really nice if he could. Spending time with him in dreams is fun, but I want him back in the real world too!

* * *

><p>After meeting with Haruhi - finally - I was able to let myself drift into proper sleep. Morning came around, leaving me to be woken by my younger sister and her giggling.<p>

Aunt Mion is in the doorway, looking amused as my sister dashes away, blanket trailing behind her. At least the gas heating keeps the house warm even without power.

"Your mother thinks it's a good idea to get you up on schedule," she notes. "To stay in the habit once you go home."

"Sounds like Mother," I agree with a sigh, sitting up and running a hand through my hair.

"The furo is free," she adds, before closing the door to give me a bit of privacy.

All things considered, I should be happy about that- With all of the cousins and uncles, it's fortunate that Aunt Mion's house has enough rooms that I can get one just to myself. I take advantage of the privacy to grab my dream journal. I ... haven't really been keeping up with that.

Then again, I've managed to achieve lucid dreaming (or this new thing that Haruhi made up that's really _like_ lucid dreaming), so I suppose there's not as much point? In any case, I make a note of the math assignments that Haruhi mentioned, so I can work on those during the 'school' session with my cousins.

It's not the most pleasant thing in the world, and without any teachers or Haruhi around to give me help, it'll be a struggle. At the same time, the only other option is to keep reading the lucid dreaming book, and I've probably gotten to the end of what that'll give me. Dreaming is pretty free - some things are harder, but there don't really seem to be many absolute limitations.

So worrying about them won't accomplish much.

Instead I resolved to keep doing my best. Haruhi had acknowledged that I was doing that, and she couldn't blame me for the rest, so what else was there?

And that meant as soon as I was done bathing, helping keep the cousins in line, and more actively trying to help lead them to take their lessons.

Ah, Haruhi, what have you done to me? Made me realize I have to take initiative and finish my homework on its own?

Truly, the world can be a cruel place.

I frown as I step out into the hall, hearing a light pattering of rainfall resuming.

Perhaps I let that thought occur to me too soon...

The rain cuts off and resumes in fitful spates until I got out of the furo. Tearing a small strip of paper from the dream journal with the homework assignment on it, I bring it and my math book to the table. Yurie breaks from her breakfast to give me a thoughtful look, her gaze lingering on the scrap I'm using as a bookmark.

"Today's assignment for me," I tell her, which gets the attention of the other cousins, and my mother to beam me a surprised, pleased smile.

It could be much worse then, couldn't it? Hopefully it doesn't rain so much it makes working on the mudslide dangerous, or else that little bit of exercise won't happen today...

* * *

><p>"This is not a suggestion you can refuse!" I slam my hand down on the table in front of me for emphasis.<p>

Across the desk from me sits the student council president, a haughty expression on his features. "Your association is not officially recognized, Suzumiya-kun. We need no other reason to refuse any request of yours."

I do my best to keep my cool, although I'd like nothing more than to reach over and slap that smug smirk off his face. "So, your words about student independence were completely empty, then? I've already gotten approval from the faculty to do this - they even thought it was an excellent idea to raise awareness!"

Which was _mostly_ true. During the lunch period today, I'd run the suggestion past Okabe-sensei - and as expected, he was shocked to hear that Kyon was stuck up behind the mudslides in Hinamizawa. Of course, he did say that any official event would have to be sanctioned by the student council as well, but he was willing to take care of any paperwork necessary with the faculty since it was one of his students that was affected.

"Regardless of the faculty's position, any student-led event must be recognized by this council to have any official standing - and I see no reason to do so for an illegal group such as your own, despite the merits of your proposal." The bastard pushes his glasses up, tilting his head back so he can stare at me down his nose.

I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, though. As much as I'd like to use this to force recognition of the SOS Brigade by the student council, we don't have time to play tug-of-war over this - if the rest of my plans are going to succeed, we need to get this moving fast!

"So, then, the fact that I _do_ have recognized organizations already offering to help out with the process should make this a non-issue, then," I say offhandedly. "Since that's the only objection you can raise, that should make it fine."

That causes an eyebrow to twitch, and I suppress the urge to put on a smirk of my own. "After all, I have the complete support of the Computer Research Club, who are already working on making flyers and posting notices online about it, and I absolutely expect the Light Music Club and the Calligraphy Club to want to help out as well."

The Light Music Club members still owe me a favor of sorts after the cultural festival; I could cash that in for this if I had to. They might not be paranormal people, but aside from that they're pretty cool, so I imagine they'd probably be willing to help out even if I didn't use up that favor. And the Calligraphy Club... I haven't talked with Tsuruya-san yet, but I'll just bet she can get them to put together some nice artwork that we can sell off to raise funds too.

"And, of course, the president of the Literature Club is fully behind me on this one," I add - although Yuki's more behind and off to the side of me at the moment; she adds her own nod to punctuate the point. If he was willing to attack the SOS Brigade through the old Literature Club... well, two can play at that game!

I can hear teeth grinding, but mostly because I'm listening for it - and this time I don't bother to hide the smirk. "Very well," the president grits out. "You have the student council's approval for a fundraiser. We will not provide any additional support or funding to assist your preparations, however, and you personally will bear all responsibility for any trouble that results, Suzumiya-kun."

At that, my smirk breaks into a full grin. "As the _leader_ of the SOS Brigade, I fully accept!" I bark triumphantly, spinning on my heel and striding out of the clubroom, with Yuki trailing behind in my wake. It may not be official recognition of the _Brigade_, but by singling _me_ out he's admitting that I'm more than just a member of the Literature Club - a small victory, but a victory all the same!

Before we get back to the clubroom, though, I draw Yuki aside to talk to her, glancing up and down the hallway to make sure we won't be overheard. "What's the news on us getting up to Hinamizawa?" I ask quietly.

She doesn't even pause before she launches into her findings. "We can obtain passage to Aomori by train after classes release on Saturday; arrival will be in Aomori shortly after midnight."

"Hmm, that's pretty late, but I guess we can probably arrange to stay overnight in Aomori and get to Hinamizawa the next day," I reply, rubbing my chin. "How much will the tickets be?"

"Approximately twelve thousand yen per person," Yuki answers.

I can't help but wince at that - for four of us, that'll be almost fifty thousand yen, and that's _just_ to get to Aomori! It'll cost us more to get from there to Hinamizawa, for sure, plus the cost of staying overnight in Aomori and food while we're traveling... man, this is going to suck! I thought if the fundraiser didn't quite come up with enough money to do what we needed I could dip into my savings, but that'd more than wipe me out!

I feel my good mood at the win over the student council slipping away as I consider. "We're going to have to make this fundraiser a big success then," I say, frowning a bit. "That's going to be a _lot_ of money just to get us up there, never mind getting supplies to take with us when we do!

"Anyway, good work, Yuki- Keep working on this, though, since we'll have to find a place to stay in Aomori and then get to Hinamizawa from there - or do you have that part worked out too?"

She hesitates a bit at that. "Partially," she admits. "From Aomori, travel is by bus to the city of Okinomiya - prices are only approximate, however. From Okinomiya, travel to Hinamizawa will depend on local conditions - the distance is approximately ten kilometers under ideal circumstances."

"Yeah, that part I imagine we won't be able to plan for very well - I'm guessing we either rent bicycles in Okinomiya or we hike. Ten kilometers should be manageable, though, as long as we don't go too crazy." I know _I_ sure won't have any problems hiking that far, and I suspect Koizumi won't either - but we'll probably need to pace ourselves a bit to make sure Mikuru and Yuki can keep up. She doesn't seem to be bothered at all at the suggestion, though, which I'll take as a good sign for her.

"All right, now we have a goal - so let's go make sure we can meet it!" With that, I walk the last few steps to the clubroom door, kicking it open and putting on a grin. "The SOS Brigade has emerged victorious against the student council once again!" I crow. "It's full speed ahead for the fundraiser, so- Koizumi-kun, report! What's the status of the Computer Research Society's assignment?"

Yuki enters behind me, closing the door with a quiet click as Koizumi starts to go over the basic plan he's come up with to spread the word online.

* * *

><p>My reality check - constant habit, now - lets me know I'm dreaming almost immediately, and I break from my dream of a Hinamizawa completely flooded, with only the school and Aunt Mion's house left dry. While I could stay and play around, I've dealt with enough of that dreary weather.<p>

So I turn around from the living room, where dream images of my cousins pore through massive, musty tomes, and to the nearest door. The front closet, as it happens, but it doesn't matter - when I open it, the other side is Haruhi's Greek palace. Strangely, the door isn't where I usually place it, but at one side.

Stepping through, I look behind me and see that Haruhi's added a wall, and at a guess, a specific place for my door to appear - beneath a stylized archway.

"Much better than just throwing a door out wherever," she says brightly, startling me- I spin around and see her lounging in her usual spot, though she's got no attendants, and is toying with that doll I made her.

I don't think she'll get over that one any time soon, either. This time, I have no one to blame but myself, however.

"Ah, thanks," I manage dryly. Why is she dressed like a Red Cross relief worker?

She sits up immediately, giving me a sharp look. "Well- How are things going with the cousins?"

"Today was a bit rough," I admit. "Aunt Rika came up to the house to rest for a bit while the uncles covered for her at the school. One of the older rooms had a leak in the ceiling, so they worked on that a bit. There's more rain, so it was too dangerous to work on the mudslide. It's difficult with the cousins all cooped up."

Haruhi opens her mouth to say something, then bites it back, showing her troubled 'unsure what to say' expression. After a moment, she offers, "Well ... even though it wasn't what I was expecting, when you had the computer club president appear, I had a lot of fun fighting him! You know, as a way to blow off steam?"

I nod, thinking of the block puzzle I had made for myself. Of course, fighting isn't really my thing - I've been motivated to consider violence only rarely. The jerk who almost hit the kid that Haruhi tutors would have deserved it, but I settled for cursing him out. I think I'd prefer a strategy game over that, but I have a hard time seeing Haruhi settling down for a game of chess.

And she'd probably beat me anyway.

"Of course, I don't see you as the violent type," Haruhi allows. "You'd probably be happier with a puzzle or a ... strategy game..." She blinks, eyes widening. "I just had a _great_ idea!" she enthuses, reaching out and grabbing my arm.

The entire world flips over and compresses like a turned page, and we're back at our shared Himeji - high up on the battlements. When I turn to look at her again, she's changed outfits. Now instead of the relief worker's outfit she had on before, she's wearing the unreasonably complex multi-layered junihitoe of an ancient Emperor's daughter.

I blink, realizing she's changed _my_ outfit, too, and I'm wearing samurai garb. Sheathed daisho are at one side, the unfamiliar weight of the swords distracting me until I close my eyes and think of the entire costume fitting as comfortably as pajamas. When I open them again, I flinch back slightly-

While I should have a view of Nishinomiya, she's rolled back time. The surrounding area lets us see a small abandoned village, and an army of foes stretching all the way to the horizon. "Great Strategist Kyon!" princess Haruhi declares imperiously. "The march of the dread-cousins draws near! The fortress must be held until the light of the moon shines in the sky once more!"

"...Dread-cousins?" I can't help but ask, taken slightly aback.

She nods smoothly, and from the enemy camp, a lone figure steps out. She's armored in gear that looks suspiciously like what a kindergartner or elementary schooler would wear. That is to say, the familiar tsuugaku-bou, or brightly colored yellow hats that children wear for road safety. It also looks _slightly_ like armor, but at a guess, Haruhi was aiming for something silly instead of intimidating.

She's attended by commanders wearing traditional grade-schooler's backpacks - randoseru - with umbrellas sticking up, instead of the sashimono that a samurai would wear into battle. They do look a _little_ bit like the ancient banners, though they lack insignia- And Matsuri isn't three meters tall, which I think the enemy 'general' must be.

Her voice is _spot_ on, though. "I am the dread general Matsuri!" she calls. "We will capture Suzumiya-hime and overthrow the Kingdom of the SOS Brigade! All hail the Dread-cousin Empire!"

A host of armored children that don't look terribly much like my cousins raise swords and bows, unleashing a cry that makes me flinch back a step.

Not done, the enemy general adds, "Kyon-nii-sama will be _ours_!"

"Wait, wait- I have to _fight_ them?" I ask aghast, turning to where Haruhi ... was. In her place is a girl that looks an _awful_ lot like my sister, just with the side-tail on the opposite side.

"Nope!" she chirps in Yurie's voice, dressed in a simple messenger's outfit. "General Kyon-nii just needs to lead the troops!" She gestures, and then I realize the castle's battlements are lined with archers - all of which look like Haruhi, in traditional garb. Their crest, naturally, is the SOS Brigade logo.

So ... more like a _puzzle_ than a fight? I still don't really like the idea of combat, but in a dream, it can all be in fun... Just make it like a video game? Well, against my cousins, I'd prefer even less- But that's fine. Thinking about it, there's no reason that - in a dream - the arrows those archers fire can't turn into nets and capture the 'enemy' harmlessly, right? Boiling oil could easily be warm, but very sticky caramel, swords could just tag people 'out'...

Sure- Like that, this _could_ be fun!

"Okay," I allow, placing a hand on the messenger's head. I'll leave the image of 'Matsuri' alone, but if Yurie's my ally... I close my eyes, thinking of how I'd rather the weapons on both side to work, and when I open them, the messenger girl looks more like Yurie.

"Do you have instructions, I wonder, I wonder?" she muses.

"Right," I declare, surveying the defenses and defenders that I can see. "Prepare the caramel! Load the siege nets!" Spotting a contingent of Haruhi in samurai garb standing by in the lower courtyard, I order their positions to man various gates.

"Aye, General Kyon-nii!" Yurie chirps, running off swiftly to relay my orders, and almost instantly replaced with another, who seamlessly replies, "Messenger Yurie, reporting for duty!"

"I should have gotten my assignments from Haruhi, first," I muse- But no time for that! The sound of drums from the army below sound. "Archers, once the enemy engages, your orders are to focus on the enemy manning the siege engines! Squad captains, coordinate fire in waves!"

"Aye, General Kyon-nii!"

I'm not at all surprised to round the corner of the battlements to check out the other side of the castle, and see another Yurie pop up at my side, saluting sharply.

"Suzumiya-hime wishes you luck, and prays for your success, General Kyon-nii! She asked me to tell you that if you should hold the castle and repel the invaders, she will give you access to the ancestral archives of today's homework!" she chirps.

...only you, Haruhi. But how could I possibly complain? It's not the best prize in the world, but this really could be fun!

"General Kyon-nii, before the assault starts, do you want to address the troops, I wonder, I wonder?" the Yurie clone at my side asks.

Well, not really- With a few exceptions, I don't think motivational speeches are really my forte. Still, for this game, I'd better, hadn't I? And I'm sure Haruhi's hiding there, as a nearby archer or samurai - no way would she miss out on watching me win ... or lose.

"Alright," I agree. I almost start with the traditional address of calling the soldiers 'men' before I realize that ... I'm the only male figure here.

Mildly disconcerting. I shake my head at that- "Warriors!" I call, instead. "Brave soldiers of the Kingdom of the SOS Brigade! Today you fight to defend your home, and your liege - and hold it you will! Today you fight not just for the SOS Brigade, and not just for your home, but for Haruhi!"

"Suzumiya-hime, General Kyon-nii," Yurie supplies helpfully.

I snort, but resist the urge to roll my eyes. Okay, Haruhi, you made me a general, so I can play along. "For _Haru-hime_!" I correct myself with a loud yell. "Today, the, er, 'dread-cousins' will be _stopped_!"

Unexpectedly, this sets off the defending troops in a raucous roar as they stream away to their defensive positions. I guess she liked that little twist? I'll have to keep it in mind for the future - it could make a good counter to a certain doll I left her with.

"The enemy is engaging!" Yurie announces, as the enemy forces begin to march on the outer castle gates.

When I see the first nets flying out, snaring the 'dread-cousins' and halting them harmlessly, I have to chuckle. A little fun to unwind and ignore the stress of the day?

I don't know if I could imagine a more entertaining way to spend my dreams! I'll have to _really_ thank Haruhi when this is done!

The castle covers a lot of territory- The samurai and archer Haruhi are probably equally competent to the 'dread-cousins' at a glance, but they'll need to cross the first moat before the samurai can engage.

Realizing this, I remark, "Have the samurai stand ready to cover the archers' retreat once the first defenses are breached. When a breach seems imminent, pull the archers back immediately; the samurai can cover them until the next choke-point. We're going to conserve resources, which means the archers are going to be key. Let the enemy make progress until they reach the maze; we'll whittle them down slowly until that point. Then we'll spring every dirty trick this castle has on them!"

"Aye, General Kyon-nii!" the messenger cheers, running off to relay my commands.

From there, we trade ground for captured and subdued cousins- I really lose track of time managing the troops. The fighting gets really intense when the dread army - at less than half strength, while we've lost far less - crosses the third moat.

Then the messenger at my side tugs at my sleeve and says, "General Kyon-nii, you must move to safety to continue directing the forces! I suggest you move to the third floor's ishiuchidana!"

I start at that- She's right; I've forgotten that I'm vulnerable. The covered 'stone throwing' platforms she referenced should still give me a view of the action without being exposed, so I agree. "Right," I remark, following her inside and climbing to the tower's third floor; by now the samurai should be engaging the attackers in the maze, and the archers should be providing cover from every conceivable location, if they're following my orders.

I lose a few minutes of command time hurrying to the new post, but it appears my strategy was good- Multitudes of generic 'dread-cousins' are captured in warm caramel or smacked with pillows dropped from the angled chutes on the sides of the tower. Based on the numbers, our victory seems certain.

I can't complain at all- But the troops on both sides seem to realize how the battle's going around the same time I do; the majority of the dread-cousins turn and try to retreat. Hosts of samurai Haruhi start raising cheers all around the castle at their success, driving the last few invaders away.

What I _don't_ expect is a host of the same samurai-garbed Haruhi - a dozen at least - suddenly bursting into the room with me. "What," I start, before Yurie giggles and waves.

"Have fun~!" she cheers. "Suzumiya-hime will want to congratulate you for your victory!"

And then like _that_ I'm grabbed up and borne aloft by the raucous, cheering samurai Haruhi.

"General Kyon!" they cheer, and, "For the Kingdom of the SOS Brigade!" along with a few cries of, "Suzumiya for Empress!"

They haul me effortlessly though the passageways of the tower, tugging at my armor and gear- By the time I reach the chamber before Haruhi's, they've stripped me down to the simple gi worn beneath the armor, and then set me down- I'm at least given the dignity of pulling on the over-clothes myself. Without the armor, I feel almost like I'm just wearing my _underwear_ in the gi, even though it's now commonly accepted as a martial artist's workout clothes.

I manage to prevent that thought from making itself a reality - well, in the dream, anyway - though the dozen Haruhi around me still stare as I pull on the baggy hakama. Right around then, as I'm securing it, the collective samurai decide I'm taking too long and quickly dress me themselves after all.

...I try and protest, but let's see _anyone_ fend off that many of Haruhi! I don't think it can be done!

Shortly, I'm presentable, wearing an outfit appropriate for court- And at that they fling open the doors to the next chamber and push me in. I stumble through the doorway, keeping my balance and blinking at the sight of Haruhi kneeling in the center of the room demurely. Her robes are arranged around her, and the detail on the seven different colored layers distracts me for a bit- To say nothing of the way that the outfit has pooled around her, captured perfectly in a shaft of sunlight.

Wait, wasn't there something about the rise of the moon? Ah, it's just a minor detail, and this _is_ a dream...

"Um," I stutter when she looks up, eyelashes fluttering slightly. Even if it's just a dream, she's made her hair longer. "Ha- Haru-hime," I choke out. "The enemy has been driven back! The castle remains secure!"

Despite her cool, she can't prevent the spots of color that appear on her cheek at that nickname- I'll remember to remember that one for sure!

"And you have done well," she says smoothly, neither of us trying to adopt the classic forms of speech. She rises smoothly and glides forward, producing a rolled scroll from her robes. "As promised, your reward, brave soul! From history, we're starting the coverage of events leading to the Battle of Sekigahara- Chapter seventeen. Math, as usual, same problem numbers for the next two pages. English is starting chapter twelve, first two pages."

Right- I try and commit that to memory, nodding.

"And," she says, smirking, "your sister's assignments for Monday and Tuesday. For science, chapter seven review in complete sentences, and she owes a full-page report on..." she trails off and winces, looking away in slight annoyance, "...her Golden Week vacation."

I think my little sister is going to have the most exciting one of those when it's time to turn in!

Coughing slightly, Haruhi adds, "And math- Always with the math! Page forty-seven and forty-nine." She shakes her head, getting back into character, I guess, and says, "But now, brave hero, for your victory, you have earned a further reward."

With that, she glides closer, pausing just before me. Wait - what's this?

Her lips quirk in a smile, and she adds, "This is traditional for these games, right? You save the 'princess' and get a kiss?"

I stare, my mouth dropping open slightly- Wait, wait! I'm not sure I'm prepared- I mean, I guess I have this coming to me? When we first met in that dream that ... well, _I_ reminded her of, I kissed _her_ without even asking permission, so-

"E...er, okay," I cough out, mindful of her sharp gaze on mine. Her eyes narrow slightly, though she looks satisfied with herself for some reason. One hand rises to my chin, and to my surprise she turns my face slightly away, leaning in for-

Oh, a kiss on the cheek? Well, that's fine, I think. As she draws closer, the entire world shakes incredibly violently, and just before she connects I realize I'm blinking up into Matsuri's face as she comes in for-

I swiftly roll away, pulling the blankets with me and sending my cousin crashing to my futon. "Wah!" she yelps, before her face goes straight into my pillow, muffling her for a moment.

What the hell!

I stare dumbly as Matsuri raises her head and looks hurt, disoriented from the abrupt transition.

"Mind your langu-" Aunt Rika starts, poking her head into the room. Wait, was that aloud? Before I can pursue the thread, Aunt Rika's eyes light on her daughter and her tired expression darkens. "_Matsuri_! You were _forbidden_ from bothering your cousin and waking him up! Young lady, this behavior is unacceptable!"

"You're mean!" Matsuri shouts back with childish indignation, glowering at her mother. "Kyon-nii-sama is _mine_, so it's okay!"

"It is _not_," Aunt Rika growls, shaking her head. "Young lady, you are grounded to your room, do you understand?"

"Shut up!" Matsuri cries, tears streaming down her face as she hops to her feet. "I hate you!"

"Matsu-" Aunt Rika cuts off with an exasperated sigh as her daughter tears past her and down the hall. Not long after, a door slams with enough force to jar me, and prompt irritated grumbling from the other rooms next to mine. Aunt Rika closes her eyes and forces a deep breath. "Oh, that little..."

"I...it's alright," I manage. I'm not exactly _thrilled_, but things are tough, and I'm not really much of one to hold grudges.

Aunt Rika nods absently, before shaking her head. "It's not alright," she counters, eyes opening. "I'm worried about that girl, and this isn't..." She trails off, rolling her eyes. "Look at me, giving you even more to worry about- You can go back to sleep, Kyon-kun."

"I'm up now, anyway," I say morosely. As much as I do enjoy my sleep - even more now that Haruhi and I can do things like that - Matsuri trying to sneak in and kiss me has gotten me awake _quite_ effectively. I quickly turn to my dream journal before I can forget the homework Haruhi relayed for me and my sister.

Aunt Rika looks pensive, finally asking, "Did you have a nice dream?"

"It was a pretty good one," I agree.

That seems to settle my aunt for some reason, and she gives me a smile, nodding. "Good," she declares. "Because Kyon-kun may have his hands full- But I'll be sure that Matsu-chan doesn't bother you any more."

I nod, giving her a small, grateful smile. She must be stressed, though - she didn't use any of her normal sound-effects. Well, I'll do my best to keep the other cousins in line. As little as I like it, and wish the storm gave me an excuse to ignore it, doing my homework _does_ seem to set a good example...

* * *

><p>The drone of the teacher at the front of the classroom is dangerous today. I seem to have adjusted to my sleep cycle when I'm dreaming with Kyon, so I don't really get tired anymore, but the history lecture being delivered at the moment is anything but engaging - the only slight consolation is imagining the ancient battles leading up to the unification of Japan involving elementary school students and vats of molten caramel. Completely silly, but then I guess if Kyon was thinking of it as his actual cousins invading, I can see not wanting to hurt them - even if all of it's entirely imaginary anyway.<p>

The end, though... damn, I was close! Sure, it was only a kiss on the cheek instead of on the lips the way it was in _my_ dream last year, but a few choice words afterwards might have drawn out some clues about whether he actually _did_ share that dream with me. Since I know now that it's possible, I really want to know for sure!

But of course, he got dragged out of the dream, as usual - his cousins are lucky I can't give them a piece of my mind in person! Although if everything for the rest of this week works out, I _will_ be able to.

That brings my thoughts around more to practical matters, though, as the chime sounds to start lunch. Thinking about much of anything gets put on hold as I fight my way through the crush to buy my lunch, but rather than my usual patrol of the school, I just settle down in the courtyard to gather my thoughts while I eat.

Given what I told the student council president yesterday, I'm going to have to take some time after classes today to hit up some other clubs for help. The light music club is an easy one, and I might be able to talk to Sakanaka during one of the class breaks this afternoon and see if she can pass the word on to the chorus, too. The computer research club... well, they're already working for us, and I doubt there's much they'll be able to do to help once the fundraiser itself arrives - although if we're going to try selling things, we could have them sell copies of that game they made and take the profits for the fundraiser. But I think that's all I can depend on for help, other than the calligraphy club - and for that, I'll need to get in touch with-

"Hiyas, Haru-nyan!" Tsuruya calls out cheerfully.

I look up in surprise as the very person I had in mind bounces up, Mikuru trailing along a bit behind her. "Tsuruya-san! I was just thinking about you!"

The green-haired girl breaks into a wide grin at that, plopping down on the edge of the planter where I've made my own seat. "Ohohoho~! What's on your mind, nyoro?"

Mikuru hangs back a bit, looking a little uncertain, so I motion her over and pat the edge of the planter opposite to where Tsuruya's sitting. "Come take a seat, Mikuru-chan!" I order. "Anyway, Tsuruya-san, I don't know if Mikuru-chan's told you anything about it yet or not, but Kyon's gotten himself stuck in an actual natural disaster! He was visiting relatives up north for Golden Week, and while he was there the village where his family lives was cut off by mudslides!"

Apparently Mikuru _hadn't_ said anything, since Tsuruya looks completely surprised by that. "No kidding?"

"Yeah!" I confirm. "Anyway, from what I've been able to find out they think the village might be cut off for another week or more, and they're having to airlift supplies in while they work on getting the roads cleared and taking care of all the flooding going on up there. There's absolutely no way I'm going to sit back and do nothing while one of my Brigade members is stuck in a situation like that, though, so we're organizing a fundraiser to help out the relief efforts!"

She nods thoughtfully at that, while Mikuru finally takes a seat next to me and opens up her bento. "I see!" Tsuruya replies. "Shame to hears something like that happened to Kyon-kun; I'll definitely chip in!"

"Actually, I was hoping you might be able to help us out with the fundraiser itself," I explain, setting my sanshoku bread down in my lap. "I've already got the computer research society helping out, and I'm pretty sure I can get the light music club to help out too - maybe put on some kind of performance or something. I was hoping you might be able to talk to the calligraphy club and see if they're willing to contribute, too - maybe making some wall hangings that we can sell or auction off, stuff like that."

"Hmmm..." Tsuruya looks thoughtful at that. "I dunno, but asking doesn't hurts anyone - sure, I'll do it!"

"Thanks, Tsuruya-san," I can't help but grin, taking another bite out of my lunch. "And while I'm on the subject, thanks to you too, Mikuru-chan!"

That startles the red-haired girl, almost making her drop her chopsticks. "Ah- what for?"

It's a little unusual for me to thank her for something, but Kyon _did_ suggest that I might be able to get more information if I could be her friend more - and honestly, I've got a good excuse. "For the flyers, of course! That design from yesterday looks great - we'll just need to fill out a little more information about what people can expect to see there and then we can get a ton of them printed up and posted all over the place!"

That prompts a blush from Mikuru, while Tsuruya puts on her own grin. "Say, Haru-nyan... since you're here, I've been hearing some other stuff today, and I want to gets the real scoop from you!"

"Hearing stuff?" I frown a bit. "What kind of stuff?"

She puts on a coy look at that. "Nothing too much, just that you were seen on a date with Koizumi-kun over the weekend," she says teasingly.

My palm meets my forehead with an audible slap. "It was _not_ a _date_... I swear, I'm going to kill Taniguchi."

Tsuruya bursts out laughing at that. "Sorries, sorries... I didn't think you'd do that - at least not with _him_. Don't worry, I'll make sure Kyon-kun knows the real story when he gets back!" She gets a shrewd look on her face at that, then raises an eyebrow. "So if it wasn't a date, what _were_ you up to?"

"Eh, I've been trying to investigate Koizumi a bit," I explain, shaking my head. "I got a... tip that I might want to check him out a little more closely - and when I thought about it, I realized I really _don't_ know very much about him, even if he is the vice-commander of the Brigade!"

Mikuru actually makes a startled noise at that... dammit, did I just let that slip in front of her? Well, it's not like I said I'm looking into _her_... maybe she might even relax a little if she thinks I'm just focusing on Koizumi?

I take a minute to polish off my lunch, then continue. "Anyway, don't worry about Kyon - I already filled him in about it, so it shouldn't come as any real surprise to him. But anyway, I really appreciate your help with the calligraphy club! If you can think of anyone else that might want to pitch in for something like that, have them get in touch with me - the more help we can get, the better it'll be!"

"Roger!" Tsuruya says, shooting me a grin and a salute. "Come on, Mikuru-chan - we should gets back to class! Catch you later, Haru-nyan!"

Mikuru flashes a slightly worried look at me, then quickly trots away after her friend. Well... hopefully I haven't freaked her out with the news that I'm looking into Koizumi... and dammit, she might tell him, too, so he might be more on his guard. I resist the urge to facepalm again, then stand up to head back to class myself, putting it out of my mind. I've got enough to worry about with the fundraiser for now, so _any_ kind of investigating is going to have to take a backseat!

I throw the wrapper for my sanshoku bread away, then head back into the building, thinking about what I've still got to do today. I need to touch base with the light music club and get their help, and check with Sakanaka about the chorus... then there's seeing if Yuki's got any updates about the travel arrangements or supplies we should take in, and getting the flyers finished up and printed so we can start posting them. And then after I get home, I need to check with my neighbor - it was lucky that the neighbor I tutor every now and then actually goes to the same school as Kyon's little sister, so getting her assignments was actually really easy.

Once I get back into the classroom, I settle back in at my desk and dig out the rough draft of the flyer that Mikuru turned in yesterday. Might as well get started - it's going to be a busy afternoon!

* * *

><p>The day gets a subdued start, thanks to Matsuri being grounded to her room. Technically, grounded to the room she's sharing with Yurie and Makoto. The rain has unfortunately picked up a small bit - yet again. The uncles all leave early, trooping down to the school with Aunt Rika to do what repairs and maintenance they can - evidently the roof was leaking.<p>

I have a strong suspicion that it's just busywork. Then again, being completely honest, it's nothing short of a stroke of genius on Aunt Rika's part if that's the case; having everyone cooped up in the same house, dealing with increasing restlessness...

After breakfast we go straight into 'school' again - Aunt Rika leads the lessons. Just when my sister seems content to goof off, I spread some of the good cheer that Haruhi lent me. I don't believe it would be possible for my mother to be any happier, considering, but she completely buys my line about thinking I can guess which assignments would be given out.

I don't think my _sister_ is nearly as thrilled about it, but since this leaves her doing different assignments from the cousins, I'm able to dodge about half of my own homework by helping her out.

Making the best of a bad situation, I suppose.

When we break for lunch, I stretch, wondering if I'll be running food down to the school, since the mudslide is being left alone. That job is taken by Aunt Mion and Aunt Shion, insisting that they want to help show support for the community.

Aunt Rika's already gone, so that leaves Aunt Satoko, my mother, and Aunt Rena in the house.

The cousins aren't too much of a problem, but ... it's actually rather boring. I should probably do my homework, but really want a change of pace, or something to break this dreary cycle.

The only other thing I have to do is read the lucid dreaming book, and I think I've reached the end of what I could learn from that.

I settle into a couch in the living room and contemplate my options. Unless I want to play more of the same games with my cousins, or help them with their own homework, there's not much to do, though.

As if to underscore that thought, Yurie darts out of the hall at top speed, skidding to a halt and nearly stumbling into the couch, eyes wide. "Kyon-nii!" she cries. "Matsu-chan is missing!"

"Missing?" I ask, reflexively putting a hand out to catch the smaller girl before she tips over.

She swallows worriedly and nods, even as my mother looks up in alarm. "She's not in our room!" she adds. "We thought she was playing, but we looked everywhere in the house and can't find her!"

"Oh, oh dear," my mother frets, jogging into the kitchen to confer with the other aunts. "Kyon, keep the children calm," she orders sternly, before stepping through the door.

Yurie raises her voice, calling, "Matsu-chan's raincoat and an umbrella are missing, too! She must have run away!"

In response to this, I hear Aunt Rena bark out a curse that she cuts short.

Very shortly, all of the cousins - minus Matsuri - are huddled in the living room, wide-eyed and alarmed. My mother, Aunt Rena, and Aunt Satoko are debating what to do. Without power or working phones, we can't do much - and thanks to the fact that the radio is _here_, there's no way to let Matsuri's mother even know what's going on!

Well ... this isn't what I would have wanted by a long shot, but enough is enough. Before the discussion can go much further, trying to sound more confident than I really feel, I say, "I'll go out and look for her."

"Ah," my mother starts to protest, before my aunt Rena cuts her off.

"If she'll come to anyone, it will be you," she agrees. "But in this weather..."

"I know her hiding places!" Yurie says quickly. "Let me help!"

"I don't like the idea of Kyon going out in this weather," my mother grumbles, "but if Matsu-chan is already out there... And Yurie-chan, too?"

"Yurie-chan will stay here," Aunt Rena says insistently. "She's far too small. Kyon-kun..." She hesitates, not wanting to counter my mother.

Before I need to push it, my mother sighs, relenting, "We've let Kyon out in worse conditions than this- But Yurie-chan is far too small."

"Okay..." Yurie allows quietly.

"I'll be back as quickly as I can," I promise, hurrying to the doorway.

My cousins all burst into protests at this; everyone wants to help, I suppose. While I'm pulling on my shoes, and the commotion in the living room shows no sign of dying down, Yurie quietly slips in and gives me a wink. "I'm going with you, Kyon-nii!" she whispers insistently. "Can you guess her hiding places, I wonder, I wonder?"

I frown, lacing up my shoes. "Your mother will be furious with me if I bring you with me," I chide her.

"That's okay!" she returns almost instantly, reaching for her own shoes. "I sneaked out and found her first! I'll be grounded with Matsu-chan, but that's okay, too; I won't let her run away again!"

And reading between the lines, if I send Yurie back... "You're going to sneak out anyway if I say no?" I guess.

She beams me a bright smile and nods.

I heave a sigh, shaking my head. This is one cousin Haruhi would approve of ... but even if it is only a village, Hinamizawa isn't exactly small. There are quite a few places Matsuri could have sneaked off to; without Yurie's help, I could easily end up just wasting my time.

"I'm not going to explicitly agree," I say quietly, grabbing out raincoats and handing hers over. "But let's hurry."

We step outside, and Yurie is almost instantly blown into me by a gust of wind. She takes my hand for stability and points down the side of the mountain. Not the road, but a path that ... in this weather...

Still, if Matsuri went that way, she could have fallen, or slipped in the mud. Doing our best, we press through the rain - it's not _quite_ hammering down like it was last week, but the steady trickle soaks us both through very quickly.

I manage not to fall during the slide down what's probably a much more passable path in clear weather. Yurie pipes up and points out branches that have broken recently - evidence suggesting that Matsuri has actually been this way. That's encouraging, though we'll have to go around the mountain for the long hike back up the hill. I don't see leading two little girls back up this trail.

In fact, considering how much we're stumbling and sliding as it is, I doubt I could get up just by myself!

We reach the bottom of the hill easily enough, and there find the most certain evidence of Matsuri's path yet. The mucky puddle shows fairly clear - and worryingly deep - prints leading off in one direction.

"I know!" Yurie calls excitedly over the rain and wind, pointing to the village. "This way, Kyon-nii!"

"If you know, let's stick to the roads," I say, pulling her back before she can charge through the trees. "We'll make better time on firmer ground."

She nods quickly and changes direction.

We spend the next few minutes trudging through the rain at a pace slightly slower than a jog - any faster and we might slip in a muddy patch. It's only at this point that I realize just how much of a panic Aunt Rena must be in. Yurie has to know how upset her mother will be after this, though...

She's a brave little girl, not just a clever one. Even if she weren't my cousin, I'd have to make sure she wasn't hurt doing this.

"Where are we going?" I ask - not that I could send her back alone at this point.

"Saiguden!" she answers without hesitation.

The ritual storage shed by the shrine? Thinking that, I increase our pace slightly; the shed isn't that far from the river, and with the dam overflowing already, and all this extra rain...

I don't know that I've ever made as fast a trip between Aunt Mion's house and the shrine grounds.

I pause to huff for breath and take the situation in when we're twenty meters from the shed - which is only thirty meters from the river itself. Supposedly it's a very old building - a cornerstone of the village history and tradition.

That's not what's on my mind, however.

What occupies my attention is the fact that the river has risen, waters lapping at the muddy soil between us and the shed already. "Matsuri!" I yell, over the storm.

I'm echoed immediately by Yurie's shaky, "Matsu-chan!"

Barely audible, I can hear Matsuri's pitiable cry for help. So - Yurie was right. I think that as I reach the door, realizing I've waded through a few meters of ankle-deep and rising water. When I reach the shed's door, the first thing that I notice is that the shed itself seems to be shifted slightly. I'm not sure ... is it sinking into the mud? The foundation slipping?

The door doesn't fit right in the frame, but I brace myself as best as I can and force it open with my shoulder. It's a good thing it opens inward; otherwise the edge would stick on the mud. I don't know if _anyone_ could open it, then.

Inside, the scene is worse than I imagined. I don't have _any_ idea why the walls of the shed would be lined with such dangerous looking objects, but I don't have time to really consider what they are - or are for. The water's filled the bottom of the shed, and I realize why Matsuri hasn't tried to climb up and escape the ventilation openings along the roof.

An unfamiliar statue in the back of the shed shifted and fell over, and she's pinned under it, floundering-

It takes only a glimpse of her terrified face to goad me into action. Some part of my mind distantly notes that the shed isn't as well constructed as I thought; the floor is earth, not stone. And that means that right now, it's more _mud_. Likely, that same distant part of my mind observes, it really _is_ just sinking into the mud, and that's what all of the problems we're facing are for.

The statue is the size of a man - and looks like one, too.

But the majority of my focus is on the burning need to get Matsuri out from underneath it.

I brace myself again as best I can and give a single tremendous heave- And before I have to deal with the fact that I'm not sure what to do next, Yurie is at my side, hauling her cousin away with a look of fierce determination - though she looks frightened nearly out of her wits. Who can blame her?

The statue is lighter than I anticipated - probably hollow - but as soon as the girls are free, I toss it aside and scoop both of them up in my arms. A handful of steps out the door, slogging through the water, I realize the river is surging even _higher_.

I don't even bother looking upstream as Yurie wails in alarm - I just aim uphill and run for everything I'm worth.


	9. Beyond the Plateau of Leng

In Your Dreams - Chapter Nine

Beyond the Plateau of Leng

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>The decorative wall remains resolutely blank, no matter how long I stare at it. The way I see it, if we're going to keep using this place as a base of operations - and I don't see any good reason why not, at this point - it makes more sense to give him someplace to arrive that <em>doesn't<em> look completely bizarre. Sure, it's a dream, so anything goes, but still - a Western-style door standing there in the middle of a bunch of marble columns and frescoes looks pointlessly dumb.

I've already made the rounds looking for Kyon; there was no sign of him in the Brigade room or at the castle, and whether it's just me getting better at this or something else, I get a strong feeling he's not actually _in_ the dream right now.

Dammit, Kyon! How the hell am I supposed to give you your homework if you're not even _here_?

After a few minutes of pacing back and forth across the mosaic logo in the middle of the floor, I decide that it's pointless to wait any further. I suppose I could try to rig up something like that doll in case he shows up, but honestly I can just give him two days' worth tomorrow instead of just one. It's not like he's going to be short on time to work on things while he's stuck.

That does, however, leave me with the quandary of what I should actually _do_ while I'm here. I know there's got to be more about this place that I haven't figured out yet, but simply making things or people or events strikes me as boring, at least without someone to show them off to. Without Kyon here, that means...

Or does it? I hadn't really thought about it before, but... if I can meet Kyon in dreams, why wouldn't I be able to meet other people, too?

I settle down on the couch for a minute to consider the idea. If the dream I had last year was really me meeting Kyon in a dream - which I haven't been able to confirm yet, thanks to last night's 'reward' getting interrupted - then it proves that it's not necessary to be in a _lucid_ dream to meet someone in a dream, since I definitely wasn't in control that time. If that's the case, I could try to find _anyone_ in a dream, although they might not realize what was going on if they're not lucid too.

With that thought in mind, I ponder briefly. The other Brigade members would the the obvious place to start, but which one of them? Yuki... well, I can't imagine her dreams being all that interesting, so I'll pass on that for now. For Koizumi, I'm already paying attention to him during the days anyway while I investigate whatever's going on with him, so expanding my scope of operations to someone else while I'm dreaming seems like a good plan.

That leaves Mikuru, which actually seems like a good option even aside from eliminating the others. She seemed a bit surprised to hear that I was investigating Koizumi today, and while Kyon said I probably wouldn't find anything if I tried doing the same to her, maybe she might give something away in her dreams that I can follow up on.

With that in mind, I close my eyes and focus on finding Mikuru, the same way I did with Kyon when I was first looking for him. Still keeping my eyes closed, I reach out and turn the page, trying to focus on my mental image of the real Mikuru as much as I can. There's a slight feeling of tightness after I lower my hand, but it's fairly quick, and I barely have time to register it before it's gone.

When I finally open my eyes, I'm actually a bit surprised to find that my clothes have changed; I seem to be wearing a copy of Mikuru's maid outfit from the Brigade room. There's no sign of Mikuru that I can _see_, even though I can hear noise from somewhere nearby that might still be her. The place I'm in, though...

The first impression I have is that this is an apartment, but it's sure not Mikuru's. The times I've been over to visit, her apartment's been pretty tiny, but this place - at least by apartment standards - is huge. One entire wall seems to be made of glass, and it's looking out into what seems to be a massive courtyard. I walk over to check it out and my jaw drops as I realize just how far up we are - this place has to be at least a hundred stories up, and there's still more building above us!

I step back, away from the window, and close my mouth as I consider what I'm seeing. This is certainly the kind of place I could imagine in a dream, although it's kind of hard to reconcile it with _Mikuru_ of all people. I was expecting more... well, typical girl stuff. Her real apartment is fairly plain, but feminine where there's something to be noticed - flowers, lots of pink and pastels, that kind of thing. This place looks like it was built out of stainless steel and glass and not a lot else - there are a _few_ touches here and there, but they're almost lost in the whole ultra-modern, brushed-metal feel to the place.

Any further musing is cut off as the girl herself enters the room, closely followed by Kyon - or a copy of him at least, since I'm reasonably sure he's not actually in the dream himself tonight. She just glances at me briefly, then takes a seat in the armchair in the center of the room and rests her head in her hands.

Her outfit isn't all that unusual, aside from that same 'feel' - she's wearing a loose top and shorts, nowhere near the girlish moe-moe look I usually expect to see from Mikuru. Kyon, for his part, is pretty stiff - he's dressed in a long black coat with tails and pinstriped pants - he looks like a fancy butler or something similar.

So, a maid and a butler, huh? I'm about to march over and demand to know what's going on and where we are when it hits me - she didn't bat an eyelash at seeing me here like this, and since I know that's not the _real_ Kyon...

Mikuru dreaming about putting _me_ in a maid costume and giving orders? Okay, yeah, I guess I can see that - but if she doesn't realize I'm the real Haruhi, I can use this to spy on her pretty effectively!

For now, though, she doesn't seem to be doing much - just staring out the window, which in itself seems a little weird. Why dream yourself into a place like this and then not do anything?

"I'm really getting tired of this," she finally says, after a couple of minutes' contemplation, moving to sit up in the chair. "Why can't these stupid orders ever actually make _sense_ for a change?"

That gets my ears to perk up again - those mysterious 'orders' of hers again. But orders from who?

"First, they spend a month training me on lucid dreaming, then after I get here I'm forbidden to even try it - until I got ordered to make sure that Suzumiya-san found out about it and got that book." She gives me a dark look at that. "So I'm sure it's got _something_ to do with her, but I have no idea what!"

I can't help but shift in place uncomfortably at the look she's giving me; an _angry_ Mikuru is kind of weird and unnerving to see, sort of like being mauled by a duck. Sure, it can happen, and it'd still hurt, but it's so unexpected you're just kind of dumbfounded until the realization of what's happening really kicks in.

She seems to pick up on it herself, though, and her expression falls. "Not like it's even her fault, though - she doesn't know anything more about it than I do, I'm sure. It's not like _she's_ following anyone's orders."

With that, she turns away to stare out the window again, and I take the excuse to move over to what I assume is the kitchen - if I'm in the maid uniform, I guess it's _my_ job to make the tea here, and if I want to keep up my cover I'd better act like the maid. The kitchen's fully stocked with everything I need, although it takes me a bit of hunting and fumbling through cabinets to actually find all the equipment I need and get the hot water going.

Mikuru doesn't seem to find this unusual, although she does turn to Kyon and start talking to him since I'm out of the room. "And then there's _you_," she huffs. "Not that I can really blame you either, but you _would_ have to be stuck out of town while Suzumiya-san starts acting stranger than usual. Now she's talking about investigating Koizumi-san, and she was definitely asking some hard questions after she overheard me talking about my orders last week - but then she's been almost _too_ nice to me since then!"

She seems to be moving around now, since I can hear footsteps outside the kitchen. "I want to think she's actually being nice just because, but I still can't help waiting for the other shoe to drop!"

That sends a pang through me... she really trusts me that little? Although, in thinking about it, I'm not sure why she _would_ trust me, either. Even when it comes to being nice to her, I only really started because Kyon said it would be the best way to find out more about her, and before that... well... I definitely haven't treated her all that well. The one time I can remember Kyon getting seriously upset with me was over the way I was playing around with her, and I know that's not the only time he's gotten upset about it. Granted, it's been a while, but I can see where she'd still be a bit hesitant to actually believe the best of me.

I take a deep breath, and almost choke on it when Mikuru suddenly appears at the entrance to the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe as she looks in at me - so I put a bit of a hustle on to finish up with the tea.

She doesn't really seem to be paying attention to me directly though, just giving out a sharp sigh before she goes on. "I get so tired of being the one to know the least about everything that's going on - and I should know more than anyone else! What use is being from the future when I never get any information about what actually _happened_ in this part of the past?"

I'm lucky I'm not actually trying to pour anything yet - the tea would be all over the counter if I was. I do manage to fumble the cups, though, sending them clattering across the serving tray that's still sitting on the counter.

What the _hell?!_ Mikuru's from the _future_?

I don't have a lot of time to consider, though; the difficulty I'm having seems to have actually drawn Mikuru's attention away from her troubles and onto me directly. I do my best to school my expression quickly, but all I can really do is hope like hell she doesn't figure out what's different about me right away - I seriously need a minute to think about what to do next.

I can feel the sweat starting to bead on my forehead before she finally gives up, shaking her head as she heads back out to the main room of the apartment with a sigh. I only just manage to resist letting out a relieved breath myself; the last thing I need to do is give Mikuru another reason to scrutinize me like that again.

Part of me is angry at just the thought of that - that I should be afraid, and of _Mikuru_ of all people! I should be going out there and shaking her down until she spills the entire story - when she's from, why she's here, why the hell she's hidden this from me!

But then another part of me thinks about what Kyon said about her, and the way she's sounded here, and I stop. Half the reason she's so upset right now is because I _have_ hauled her around and made her do exactly what I want, and it sounds like I'm not the only one - if she's been getting some kind of orders from the future, and they don't even tell her why she needs to do what she's doing, how much of a jerk move is that? Do I _really_ need to go and pile on her even more?

Thinking about it that way helps to put it in perspective a bit better. Mikuru is _my_ Brigade mascot... but more than just that, I think she's having a hard time, and as _her_ Brigade chief it's my job to watch out for her. With that thought in mind, I change my clothes, switching back to my "Legendary Dreamer" costume - coat, armband, and all the rest. Grabbing a couple of cups of tea - no more messing around with making it the old-fashioned way, I just picture them full of the best tea I can imagine - I head out to the living room, where she's settled down at a kotatsu that she must have dreamed up, since I don't remember it being out here when I arrived.

She's resting across the table with her head down, so she doesn't see me as I set the cup down by her elbow and take a seat across from her. I take a deep breath to help me steady myself before I say anything, since I need to keep my own surprise and excitement reined in a little here.

"Have a drink, Mikuru-chan. You look like you need something to help you relax."

She sits bolt upright in shock at that, obviously not expecting me to talk to her. I can't say I'd react any differently, though, if something like the servant-Mikuru I made in the palace did anything I didn't expect her to. In reply, I just nudge her tea a little closer to her. "Seriously, you look like you need it."

At that, she picks up the cup, taking a long drink from it, although her eyes never actually leave me. She almost seems to be operating on autopilot, though, so I'm guessing we're going to need to get past the initial shock a little more slowly. I frown a bit, wondering exactly how to get through this.

"I assume from what you said earlier that you know you're lucid dreaming, right?" That gets me a curt nod in reply, her expression moving from shock to puzzlement.

It's enough of a confirmation though, so I push ahead, leaning on the edge of the table as I do. "You're not the only one - I'm the real Suzumiya Haruhi, I'm in a lucid dream too, and I'm actually in _your_ dream. I don't know if you had a copy of me here before or what, but I'm not a copy - I'm the real thing."

I can almost trace this sinking in just by paying attention to Mikuru's face. She starts by nodding slowly in acknowledgement, but as what I actually said registers, her eyes widen and the color drains out of her face. Abruptly, she lets her head collapse back to her folded arms, which I can't help but snort at.

"It's not that bad, Mikuru-chan," I say, shaking my head a bit. "C'mon, sit up and talk to me. I promise not to bite."

She slowly raises her head at that, giving me that slightly hunted, watery-eyed look that I'm used to after I've forcibly re-dressed her in some new costume or other. She still looks too uncertain to actually say anything, and I'm about to lay into her when I bite my tongue.

That's not really going to help much, is it? I just decided not _five minutes ago_ that she'd had enough hassle from me and whoever these people giving her orders are, and even if I'm getting frustrated, taking it out on _her_ isn't going to help matters at all.

Instead, I close my eyes, letting out a tense sigh before I try again. "I'm not... very good at doing things this way, so... sorry in advance if I come across as pushy or mean here - I'm really trying _not_ to." I open my eyes and fix my gaze on Mikuru's face; she's dropped back to a more wary expression again. "I don't know _everything_ about what's going on with you, but Yuki told me that you couldn't have said anything to me about it if you wanted to."

I look her straight in the eye as I finish. "So- Just a few minutes ago in the kitchen, I heard you say you're actually from the future. Is that really true?"

She gets that panicked look on her face again, then deflates a bit as she gives me a tiny nod.

It strikes me that she hasn't actually said a word since I announced who I was, but then the same words I just mentioned to Mikuru come back to me - Yuki said she couldn't. Well, hopefully I can reassure her about that much, at least!

"Look- if what Yuki told me really is true, you can trust me with this, I promise. I don't know what it is that's keeping you from talking to me about this, but whatever it is I'll absolutely help you out with it. Obviously I don't know _why_ this has to be kept such a big secret - at least not yet - but I swear I'll keep it that way." I give an impatient huff at that. "Just- Talk to me! Say something!"

She cringes at that, looking away from me and out the window as she whispers her response. "I- I don't even think I _can_. It's not that I don't _want_ to, I just literally _can't_!"

What, that's _it_? I grit my teeth and slam my fist down on the table. "Come on, Mikuru-chan!" I bark out... then I catch myself. Not helping, Suzumiya. I clench my fist tighter for just a moment to try to get out my frustration, then let go of my own tension. "I'm- please, Mikuru-chan. Just try, okay?"

"All right, I'll try," Mikuru replies, taking a deep breath. "Then yes - I actually am a time traveler. I was sent back to join the Brigade last year, and my mission - at least the mission I was _told_ about - was supposed to be to observe you, since you seem to have been involved in a severe temporoclastic fugue event that occurred roughly four years Down from our current date."

She pauses to take a breath, and looks like she's about to go on when her eyes snap open wide. "Wait- did I really just say all that?"

I shrug. "I have no idea what the hell a 'temporoclastic' whatever is, but I definitely heard you explain things, yes."

She just stares at me, shaking her head. "No no, it's not that - I shouldn't even be physically _capable_ of saying those things! Part of the equipment that all time travelers are outfitted with is an automatic censoring implant - it prevents us from actually giving away any kind of details about events that haven't happened yet by altering our speech. Maybe it's because I'm actually in the dreamtime and the brainwave patterns don't match up? But even that should..."

With that, she degenerates into some incomprehensible babbling about alpha states and brain centers that even has _me_ lost, until I hold my hands up in a 'T' pattern to interrupt. "Time out, Mikuru-chan! Take a breath!"

That seems to get her to realize that I'm actually still here; her expression slowly falls from excited to morose. "I'm... in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"

"Maybe," I allow. Her shoulders slump in defeat, and that confirms what I wanted to know - she does feel bad about having kept her secret from me, at least. "Maybe," I repeat, "but if so it's not going to be from me."

She looks up at me in surprise at that. "Wait- you're not angry that I didn't tell you I was a time traveler?"

"No, actually I _am_ pretty pissed off about that," I counter, prompting her to wince again. "But from the way you were sounding a few minutes ago - and what you just told me - it sounds like you didn't really have much of a choice about whether to tell me or not.

"So yeah, I'm ticked off, but not really at _you_." I give Mikuru a long look at that. "_Would_ you have told me you were a time traveler if you were able to?"

"I-" she starts, then sighs. "If I'm being honest... I'm not entirely sure. I'd _like_ to say yes, but..."

I scowl a bit at that, then shake my head. "I can't say I'm completely happy with that answer, but it sounds like an honest one, at least. I'd _expect_ a time traveler to keep things secret about the future, so not telling me right away... yeah, I suppose that's reasonable.

"But more than just that, though - what the hell is going on? You said something about why you're in the past, but why are you _here_, in the dream? And what's this about orders not making sense?"

"Um... well, this dream state is used for secure communications in my time," Mikuru explains. "Most time travelers call it the 'dreamtime', based on some of the legends of the Aborigines in Australia. You can get here by lucid dreaming - obviously, you found that out yourself - but it's not actually the same thing as a lucid dream; there are a bunch of differences between this and a simple dream.

"Anyway, to make a long story short, due to the way this place works you can pass information between people securely - in the future, there are so many kinds of electronic and cybernetic surveillance out there that you can't guarantee that someone else isn't listening to you in the real world, no matter what you do. But the dreamtime is different - it uses different parts of your brain than you normally do, so standard neural implants don't work, and no one's ever developed anything that can actually record this place, since everyone's mind interprets it a little differently."

I blink in surprise at the concise - and pretty technical - explanation from Mikuru. It's weird to see her rattle something like that off without a pause, but it definitely adds to the impression that she really is a time traveler, like she claims to be.

It's going to take me a minute to collect my thoughts, so I lean back from the table, staring into space just above Mikuru's head. "All right, that explains why you'd be here _at all_, but it doesn't really tell me much about why you're here _now_ - and there wasn't anything in there about your orders, either. Orders from who?"

"My superiors in the agency I work for," Mikuru explains, sighing again. "I'd give you a name, but it wouldn't really mean anything - the agency doesn't exist yet, and none of the people I work for are due to be born for a very long time yet. But the orders that were confusing me... well, it has to do with the rules they pound into your head as someone traveling through time, and what I was told my mission here was going to involve.

"As far as I was told, this was just going to involve observing the past, not actually doing anything while I was there." She starts to look vaguely angry again as she gets into her irritation. "And yet ever since I arrived, I keep getting all these weird orders to do this or that - mostly having to do with Kyon-kun - but past that, none of it makes sense! They've got me actually _doing_ things here that I _know_ have to be causing effects further Up, but they won't tell me what or why I have to do them!"

"Then why don't you just tell them to get lost?" I retort. "If the orders suck, don't follow them!"

"I have to," Mikuru replies, closing her eyes wearily. "If I don't, they'll almost certainly recall me to my own time, and the consequences for something like that... well, I don't know _exactly_ what they'd do, but it wouldn't be good at all!"

"So they tricked you into coming here by saying one thing, and now that you're here, they're making you do something else? On pain of some kind of punishment?" I can't help but scowl at that.

Mikuru nods unhappily at that, and I huff in irritation. "That sucks! I absolutely wanted to meet a time traveler, but it was _supposed_ to be to hang out and have fun with them, not because they're going to get in major trouble if they don't!" I fold my arms, turning my glare to the window. "So are you going to get in trouble for telling me this much, even?"

"That..." She actually stops to think for a minute. "You know, I think I actually might _not_?" she says hesitantly. "I'd definitely get in trouble if my superiors found out that you knew I'm here from the future, but... like I said, the dreamtime is used like this for secure communications because it can't be monitored, specifically. So they aren't going to _know_ that the truth is out."

I turn back to look at her, giving her a considering look. "From the way you put that... if I'd come to you anywhere _but_ here, they'd know about it?"

She nods at that unhappily. "It'd be almost certain," she agrees.

"Then I guess we only talk about this stuff while we're here, then," I aver. "I'm absolutely going to remember this, and I'll try to give you _some_ kind of signal to let you know in the real world... hey, wait - here's an idea! Put your hair up in a ponytail tomorrow, then ask me what I think of it, we can use that as a code phrase!"

"I... guess I can do that?" she replies timidly. "They probably won't care about the way I look unless it's _too_ unusual, so that should be safe, but... what are you going to do, now that you know?"

I frown a bit. "For right now, nothing - from what you've said, if your supervisors find out that I know, you get pulled back to the future and punished - so for now, the first priority is getting you out from under their thumb!" I nod sharply at that. "Going forward, though, keep coming to the dream! Actually... be _really_ sure to come tomorrow night - Kyon's definitely going to need to be brought in for this!"

"Kyon-kun? Wait - he's found the dreamtime too?" Mikuru looks almost more surprised by that than anything else that's happened tonight.

"Yeah! He..." My excitement is cut short by the world around us pulsing, the walls of the futuristic apartment we're in pulsing in and out like they're made of rubber. "Whoa... what the hell was that?"

"Your footing in the dreamtime is slipping," Mikuru explains, her voice fading in and out as another pulse hits, forcing me to close my eyes. "You're waking up - but I'll be here tomorrow night, definitely."

"Good - I..." Anything else I planned on saying is lost, as a final wave of disorientation strikes - and this time, as the walls bow outward, they puff away like mist and leave me in darkness... which I interrupt by blearily opening my eyes to see the first gray light of dawn starting to peek through my window.

* * *

><p>The next day at school is practically torture. I'm almost ready to burst with excitement over my discovery, but there's no one to tell! Kyon would absolutely be getting an earful about this, if he wasn't stuck in Hinamizawa; I briefly consider trying to talk to Sakanaka about it, but decide against it; honestly, if it was someone telling <em>me<em> about all this I'm not sure I'd believe it myself!

Mikuru herself isn't much use for this, either. If what she said about her bosses is right, I can't blow her cover... well, her _new_ cover, I suppose, since she's really had one that she's had to keep from me this whole time. Now, it's the other way around - she's got a secret from _them_, and if I screw that up, she gets pulled back to her own time, and I absolutely don't want that to happen!

The constant churning of my thoughts keeps me restless all day long. I'm almost late getting back to class from lunch thanks to that; I've got too much energy to bother eating at lunch, and I'm too busy mulling over my own ideas about how to break the stalemate with Mikuru's superiors to pay any attention to the time.

I've finally managed to settle down a little by the time the club meeting rolls around. Yuki's the first one in the club room - as usual - and on seeing her there, I'm half tempted to blurt out what I've found to _her_! After all, she apparently knew about this, or at least about part of it; she was the one who told me that Mikuru wouldn't be able to say anything directly, and she couldn't either. I squash that idea rather quickly, though; I don't necessarily think Yuki's untrustworthy, but if Mikuru or Koizumi were to come in while I was in the middle of that... no, I don't think it's a good idea, at least not yet.

That proves doubly true when there's a knock on the door, shortly after I've set my bag down and fired up the computer. It's too soon after classes have let out to expect Koizumi, and Mikuru doesn't bother to knock. I frown as I push back my chair and head for the door, wondering who it could be - everyone else should be in their own clubs or heading for them, shouldn't they?

The answer is a bit of a surprise when it comes, although it shouldn't have been. Sakanaka is waiting outside expectantly, looking a bit nervous as Mikuru comes to a halt behind her.

"Oh, uh, Sakanaka-san!" I stumble a bit over my tongue as I try to gather my thoughts. "Come on in - something you needed?"

She nods, heading inside along with the upperclassman. "Um... sorry if I'm intruding on your meeting," she starts off. "I would have talked to you during class earlier today, but I wasn't able to catch up to you during break earlier today."

It's only then that I recall that I'd asked her to see if the chorus would be interested in getting involved in the fundraising efforts on Saturday; I was so caught up in thinking about Mikuru all day that I completely forgot about it! "No, it's fine - I probably should have checked back with you earlier, sorry about that." I shake my head a bit, trying to organize my thoughts a bit better.

"It's all right," Sakanaka smiles. "Anyway, I wanted to give you good news! I talked to the president of the chorus club, and she thought it was a great idea! The only catch is that we'll need some kind of stage to perform on."

"That's no problem!" I retort. Granted, it isn't something I've made plans for, but I know the school's got a stage in the gym; we'll just have to make sure to track down Okabe-sensei and make sure we have access to the gym for the fundraiser. They might need to have things set up so they can sing, but I can probably get the Computer Research Society guys to take care of all of that stuff...

Gradually, I become aware of Sakanaka's slightly worried expression as she tries to get my attention. "Um... Suzumiya-san?"

"It's all taken care of!" I bark, giving her a confident grin. "Just planning out what we'll need to do to get ready!"

"Sorry, I was just going to ask one other thing - how many people are you expecting to come?" She looks a little nervous at that question. "I mean, I've seen the flyers that have started going up around the school, but I don't really know how many of the students will come on a day off for something like this."

I frown a bit as I consider. "I hadn't actually thought of that, but you've got a point. Not a problem, though, it just means we need to expand the scope of our advertising!" I nod sharply at that.

The point is punctuated by another knock on the door; once open, it reveals the timely arrival of Koizumi. "Good afternoon, Suzumiya-san... ah, we have a guest?"

"Sakanaka-san was just letting me know that we've got the cooperation of the chorus for the fundraiser this weekend," I reply. "Speaking of which, you're just in time! I need you to go talk to the Computer Society again - we will need to expand the scope of our advertising!"

"What did you have in mind?" Koizumi replies smoothly, setting down his bag next to the table.

"Get them to print up more flyers, then we'll all go down to the shopping district and leave them with the shopkeepers! I'm sure they won't mind, since it's for a good cause!" As I speak, Sakanaka gives me a quick wave, then ducks out of the room - makes sense, I suppose, since if her club is going to be performing, they'll probably need to make extra sure they're ready.

"I'll get right on it," Koizumi nods, heading back out the door. Now that the immediate business is taken care of, I turn my attention to Mikuru. I'm pleased to note that the former has her hair up in a ponytail, as suggested.

She stammers for a minute under my gaze before she finally gets a word out. "Uh... g-good afternoon, Suzumiya-san," she starts out. "I, um, decided to try something different with my hair today - what do you think?"

Mikuru, I could hug you - you remembered it perfectly! I decide not to get too excited, though, since if her bosses are watching all this I don't need to tip them off that I know about it. "Hmm, looks good - although I think your regular hairstyle suits you better. Why'd you decide to change things up today?"

That catches her off-guard, and she pauses for a moment before replying. "Um, er... it was... something that came to me last night," she offers, a pleading look in her eyes.

A movement - or maybe a lack of it - catches the corner of my eye, and I glance over at Yuki, who's simply watching the entire exchange wordlessly. It doesn't seem that unusual... until I realize that she's _watching_ us, rather than nose down in her book like she usually is. "Interesting," is her only comment, before she returns her attention to her current choice of reading material.

I can't help but raise an eyebrow at that, and Mikuru takes the lapse in attention to scurry away and start changing. I can't help but offer one last shot, though: "You don't have to change today, Mikuru-chan... maybe I should dress up today instead?"

She shoots me a puzzled look at that, halfway into unzipping her skirt.

"Well, it'd only be fair for me to try it once in a while," I grin. "Haven't you ever wondered how I'd look in some of these costumes? Say, maybe, the maid outfit?"

She colors at that and turns away. "I'm... I..."

I can't help but giggle a bit at that. Enough playing around, though - I've got a fundraiser and a trip to plan!

* * *

><p>Most of the rest of the evening is spent in a blur of plans, arrangements, and talking as we get ready for the fundraiser and trip to follow.<p>

Yuki has almost all of the travel arrangements finished at this point; she's even got a credit card - which was news to me - but with that, she's even managed to buy the tickets and reserve a hotel room in Aomori for Saturday evening. We'll just need to make sure to get the money from the fundraiser to her so she can pay the bill.

Koizumi managed to get a huge bundle of flyers printed up before club meetings were over for the day, although he mentioned that the computer society is running low on paper; that's something I hadn't considered, but a quick trip to an office supply store after clubs let out solved that problem.

With all the extra leaflets printed up, I gave out a bundle to the rest of the Brigade and told them to visit a few stores and restaurants where they shop regularly; aside from a break for dinner and to get more paper, that chewed up the rest of the evening pretty thoroughly - and wore me out to boot.

So it's not really a surprise to find myself collapsing into bed early, and ending up in the dream rather quickly. This time, when I make my reality check, it's almost not necessary; there's no way the landscape I'm seeing could be real. It's a mishmash of various shops and sidewalks arranged along a bunch of stairways, and no one direction is up - it's almost exactly like that famous painting by M.C. Escher. This is one dreamscape I almost want to stop and explore more - what's it going to do if I get to the top of one of these staircases and everything is sideways? - but I can't really afford the time tonight.

Reluctantly, I turn the page with Mikuru in mind; I don't know if she'll be back in that same apartment I found her in last night, and I'd rather not waste time searching for her. It's a good thing I didn't go to the apartment, too, since she's not in a place I would have expected - this looks like the mountain on Tsuruya's estate, near where we had our treasure hunt on Valentine's Day.

Sure enough, though, Mikuru is here; she's sitting on top of a big rock that I vaguely recall being here when we had our picnic. It's an odd place to find her, though.

"Why here?" I fire off without preamble as I walk up the slope behind her.

"Wah!" she yelps, losing her balance and nearly falling off the rock. I find myself having to suppress a snicker at that, watching her windmill her arms as she tries not to fall off.

I can't hide my smirk as she finally turns around to face me. "C'mon, Mikuru-chan, it's a _dream_. You couldn't fall off that thing if you didn't want to! At least as long as you remember that it's a dream, anyway."

"I'm... I know," she sighs, hopping down and straightening out her skirt; she's wearing a school uniform, but I suppose it doesn't really matter _what_ you're wearing here if you can just change on a whim. "I've always had trouble keeping that in mind, and it's been a long time since I've spent much time here so it's easy to forget."

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow at that. "How long have you been in the past, anyway?"

"Since the beginning of last year," she explains, refusing to meet my eyes. "I 'transferred' just before the beginning of the year, and I started at Kitago at the same time that you and Kyon-kun started."

"So you've been in the past the entire time since then?"

"Not... the whole time," she says hesitantly, hopping off the rock. "But I haven't been back to my own time since then, and I haven't used the dreamtime at all since I arrived."

I can't help but jump on the opening she just gave me, though. "Not the whole time? So you've time traveled since you came back, but not to go home. Where... or I guess a better question is _when_ did you go?"

"I've... had to go on errands a few times," Mikuru explains slowly. "I don't mean to hide anything from you, but they're not really things I like to think about. The first one wasn't so bad - I had to take Kyon-kun back to a night almost four years ago, but I have no idea what he did there, since I apparently passed out shortly after we arrived. All I know was that I was ordered to take him, and that we needed help to get back to the right time afterwards since I was having trouble with my TPDD.

"The second time I went back by myself, but I had to rely on Kyon-kun quite a bit for help after I got to when I was going," Mikuru huffs. "That was the trip that really got me wondering what my superiors are actually doing, but there's nothing I can actually do about it even if they are breaking the rules."

I'm still wondering what a 'TPDD' is, but it's something I can ask about later - we need to get going if we're meeting up with Kyon tonight. I grab Mikuru's wrist, but as I'm about to reach up and turn the page to the palace, I pause. "What about the third time?"

Her voice is hoarse as she answers. "I... don't like thinking about that time very much," she manages to get out. "With as much as you know now, I don't really have anything to hide from you, but... If you want to know, please ask Kyon-kun - I'd really rather not talk about it."

I frown at that, but she's right about that much at least - if she really wanted to hide it she wouldn't have mentioned it at all. And it's not like asking Kyon is the worst thing in the world, especially when I'm going to have to do that _anyway_ just to confirm Mikuru's story.

"Fine, but I _will_ find out," I warn, reaching up to turn the page over to the undersea temple that's become our base of operations in the dream.

Mikuru seems slightly surprised at the transition as the moving line of 'here' passes over us, but only a bit; if she was 'trained' to use this place somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if she's seen even stranger things than that! Once the transition is complete, though, her surprise increases.

"This is... Atlantis?" she says, stepping away from me as I let go of her wrist.

I didn't really think of it in those terms, but I guess it sort of fits, doesn't it? "Hmm, I guess so... I just dreamed myself here the other day and was messing around, and Kyon found me here," I explain. No need to explain exactly what _did_ happen at the moment when he did, though. "It was pretty plain when we first got here, but we've been adding some decorations as we go - the mosaic in the floor and some of the friezes and pottery and stuff is fairly new."

Her eyes widen a little at that. "It was... blank?" She stoops to look at the SOS logo that's tiled into the floor, walking around it to get a sense of the scale.

"I just said it was, didn't I?" I grumble. "Kyon and I have played around with it some, figuring out what works and what doesn't. Seems like any place we both put some effort into making sticks around, but if it's just me or just him it tends to fade or fall apart a lot faster. We've probably spent more time here than any other single place, so it's holding together pretty well."

"I-I'm just a little surprised you'd come here, I guess," Mikuru offers hesitantly. "At least in my time, Atlantis is one of the few persistent places in the dreamtime - a lot of people use it as a meeting place for that reason. It usually takes someone that's been there before to find it, though - even when you know what you're looking for, it's really hard to find unless you've seen it yourself."

"Really?" I give her a sidelong look. "I just went lucid and found myself here, and was goofing around when Kyon came and found me. I might have gotten lucky finding myself here, but Kyon actually had to find the place - and it wasn't like I was working to make it easy for him to find!"

"It's just a little strange, that's-" Mikuru's comments are cut off by a flash of light on the wall I made for Kyon's door.

"No time, just duck behind one of the pillars!" I hiss at her, turning to face the doorway as it forms. She scurries to comply as the door starts to open; I may not have any kind of fun activity planned tonight, but we'll see if I can't surprise Kyon all the same!


	10. Sleep of the Just

In Your Dreams - Chapter Ten

Sleep of the Just

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>Adrenaline is a strange thing. It can lend superhuman strength and ability, but also blur the comprehension of time.<p>

After hearing the rush of water bearing down on us, and seeing the frame of the old ritual shed shift, my thoughts were that more than anything I had to bear the pair of wailing cousins I had grabbed to safety. It was probably hopeless, but thanks to that surge of chemicals reinforcing the most primitive parts of my brain, instead of worrying about _that_ ... I just focused on doing my best.

So when I come to my senses properly, I realize I have collapsed onto my back, still holding the shaking, sobbing girls against me - only a few meters from the new water level. My limbs feel like jelly, and my lungs burn. My fingers and toes feel numb, and I want to shake-

I'm cold, wet, ache, and am generally miserable- But we are all _alive_, and that makes me want to weep with relief. Of course, I realize, this is probably the after-effects of the adrenaline wearing off. I may have hurt myself, pushing beyond mortal limits ... but right at this moment, I don't care.

Still, I can't afford to lay here and stare blankly up into the rain. Especially since another storm-surge could raise the water level _again_.

"Alright," I groan, letting go of the pair of cousins - Yurie and Matsuri, looking shaken but okay. "Let's get back home so we can get dry and warm up."

"Alright," Yurie agrees shakily.

"Y...yes, Kyon-nii-sama," Matsuri says in a subdued tone, bowing her head, tears still streaking down her cheeks.

We climb to our feet, and I'm surprised at how easily I can move, though I have a stitch in my side - which is far less surprising. After extending a hand to each of my cousins, we slowly march - first straight uphill a short distance for safety, and then to the road. As worn as I am from that run...

And to think, just a short while before Matsuri running away I was complaining about the _lack_ of exercise!

I'm not sure, but I think with the slow pace from the rain and slipping in the mud, it's nearly an hour before we get back to Aunt Mion's place. When we come in sight of the door, I can feel myself wanting to sag in relief - all I can think of is crawling into the furo to soak in the warm water!

Aunt Rika trots out the door to meet us as a measured pace, her expression tried and stern, but mildly relieved- At her side, Aunt Rena tears past her and toward Yurie like a bullet-train, looking more frazzled than I've ever seen the woman before. Yurie is swept up in a tornado of hugs and kisses, intermingled with thunderous chastisements from her mother.

Matsuri's mother is sedate in comparison, stopping before us and giving Matsuri a tired gaze that's difficult for me to read. The girl drops my hand and lowers her gaze to her feet. "I'm ... sorry," she mumbles.

"I imagine so," Aunt Rika murmurs. "Enough of this- Yurie-chan, Matsuri-chan, both of you into the bath."

"We _must_ get you cleaned up," Aunt Rena agrees, scowling at her daughter. "Running off like that! I _know_ Kyon-kun wouldn't have suggested it- But my little know-it-all child would insist she could help, wouldn't she?"

"Ah, heh," Yurie chuckles from where she's held tightly to her mother. "Um ... sorry! But if Matsu-chan is safe, I wonder, I wonder-"

"Grounded," Aunt Rena says flatly, not making any move to release her daughter. "That aside - bath. _Now_. Matsu-chan, you too, so come along!"

I heave a sigh as the older woman leads the girls away. Aunt Rika steps closer, covering me with the umbrella she thought to bring. She must have been waiting by the door with Aunt Rena, to see us arriving so clearly.

"You can use the shower, Kyon-kun," she says warmly, leading me toward the house. When I look up at her face, her expression is distant. She does seem remarkably calm, all things considered. She shakes her head, dismissing some distracting thought and rewarding me with a radiant smile - the sort of expression that dazzles even compared to Asahina-san's. "Won't that be nice? Shuu, shuu~!"

Eh- What was I thinking of? For being old enough to be my mother, Aunt Rika can be strangely adorable and childish, even beyond her habit of making sound effects in conversation. While I'm not that sort of person, if Matsuri could be a little more gentle and grow up to be like her mother, she's got the promise to become a real heart-breaker!

"Kyon-kun did very well today," she adds as we step into the doorway, where my _own_ mother is waiting, holding a towel. A pile of other towels on the floor let me know that the cousins have probably already been bundled into the bath.

"You'll have to tell us all about it once you wash up and change - we'll have warm soup for you, too," my mother agrees. "I'm just as happy as everyone else, but get into that shower before you catch cold!"

Somehow, I don't feel left out compared to Matsuri and Yurie ... I suppose it's only natural for mothers to worry about their children? All I can think is that my mother was confident enough to worry less - but even she was concerned. Well, I'm glad that there wasn't more to worry about, then.

Anyway, a warm shower sounds ideal!

* * *

><p>After a soothing run under the shower, my muscles feel a little more relaxed, though some aching remains in my legs and back. That's forgivable for someone who moved a statue and carried two children to safety, isn't it?<p>

But the punishment being delivered to my spine isn't over, because as soon as I finish dressing from the shower and step out, I'm greeted with a hearty slap on my back from Uncle Keiichi. He and the other uncles surround me in a rowdy, cheering crowd, and then haul me bodily into the study.

Seeing a lack of children, I can't really complain - a chance to relax with the older crowd is entirely welcome!

I see Aunt Satoko rolling her eyes and shaking her head with a tolerant smile before I'm bustled into the room, and Aunt Mion's cheerfully barked order of, "Let him have his soup, first!" is the last I hear from her.

So, the uncles and I take seats in Uncle Keiichi's comfortable study, which has a couch, a table, and his desk. Since the power's been off for a while he's actually put his computer away somewhere, giving me the awkward honor of the seat behind a desk. "Eat up, my boy!" he says happily.

"Er, thanks," I manage. There is a steaming bowl of soup there, but what about everyone else?

"We already ate," my father contributes. "So it sounds like while we were working on the school building, you had a real adventure, didn't you?"

Without electrical power for the village, have I become the sole source of entertainment? As if to answer that question, Aunt Rika opens the door, giving my uncles a look of tolerant suffering.

"Boys," she sighs, shaking her head. "Kyon-kun, before anything else - Matsu-chan and Yurie-chan said you went into the saiguden!" She looks stern and puts her hands on her hips, leaning toward me slightly in admonishment. "Is that true?"

"Er, yeah," I admit, wincing. That's supposed to be bad - to invoke the wrath of the village god. Oyashiro is supposed to be very vengeful. While I'm being honest, I admit, "Um, Oyashiro-sama's statue fell and pinned her, so ... I might have ... treated that roughly too."

"Well, entry into the saiguden is forbidden except for the Fuurude family and those with their permission," she declares, shaking her head and marching to my side. "So, I give Kyon-kun permission! He's a well behaved kitten~!"

Then she reaches a hand out and pats my head like I really _was_ a cat. For whatever reason, this makes Uncle Keiichi's face redden a bit.

"Though, for saving my daughter from danger, Oyashiro would forgive you, too~! So don't worry about that! I'm sure the real Oyashiro doesn't like that statue anyway," she says with remarkable conviction. "Otherwise, Matsu-chan says the flood swept the entire saiguden away, anyway, so why be upset about it?"

Really? I suppose she must have been able to see it while I was running. The entire thing swept away? It seemed like it was about to, so I can't be that surprised!

Giving me one last pat, she says, "Kyon-kun is a good boy! Now, don't have too much fun with these old men - they will undoubtedly try and corrupt you ... but you've earned some time away from the children, so enjoy - nih-paah~!" Done with her informal blessing of my trespass, she hums some song I'm not familiar with - something surprisingly energetic.

For a woman with children, and a shrine maiden on top of that, I can't help but think that sometimes she acts more like my sister's age than her own.

After the door is shut and I help myself to the warm soup - really, perfect after the day I've had - Yurie's father shifts in his seat and prompts, "Now, we've heard Matsu-chan and Yurie-chan tell their version of things - but what really happened?"

"Their versions?" I wonder. After another mouthful of soup, I ask, "What did they say happened?"

"Matsu-chan says that you lifted the statue and tossed it aside like a super-hero," Uncle Keiichi chuckles.

Laughing and shaking his head slightly, my father adds, "And Yurie-chan says you outran an oncoming flood by moving so fast you skipped across the top of the water, like an anime character!"

If this were one of the dreams with Haruhi, sure, but in the real world, I strongly doubt it! The dreams I've shared with her so far lacked that compelling sense of fear and urgency - the real world is a lot scarier!

"Well, adrenaline is pretty amazing," I allow, shaking my own head. "But being honest, the statue didn't weigh very much. It was probably hollow - and anyway, if the saiguden were already sinking and had a dirt floor, I bet I just shifted the balance of it to sink faster while levering it off Matsu-chan - and the water wasn't very deep before the main surge."

Uncle Keiichi's eyebrows rise. "Dirt floor?" he wonders. "Eh- Well, only the Fuurude family is allowed inside..."

"I would have expected a wooden floor, too," my father muses. "But no matter- Did you see anything forbidden in there?"

"Ah ... probably?" I hesitate. Does Aunt Rika's blessing extend that far? "I didn't really have a lot of time to pay attention; I was mostly worried about Matsuri." Finishing off the soup, I push the bowl to once side and lean back a bit. That was pretty good!

"That sounds fair," Yurie's father reasons. "Hmm, I'm guessing my daughter cleverly bullied her way into you taking her along, eh? Why not tell us from the beginning!"

"And while we're here without power, I think it's time we give Kyon-kun a reward suitable for his rescue of two of our little girls," Keiichi adds.

"Fair enough!" Yurie's father agrees. "If Kyon-kun hadn't gone out and rescued Matsu-chan, Yurie-chan would undoubtedly have gotten hurt trying to do it herself! She's a good, well-meaning girl, but when it comes to her friends, sometimes her sense just goes out the window!"

"Hmm," Uncle Keiichi muses with a frown, opening up a cabinet, and then glancing at my father.

My father starts, slightly shaking his head, then thinks better of it. "Why not?" he says with a lopsided smile, shrugging. "If anything can earn it, it's this!"

What? What's going on, then?

"Alright!" Uncle Keiichi declares, pulling out a large bottle of sake. "First drink goes to our oldest nephew!"

Well ... it would be rude to decline, if even my father said it was okay, but I can't help worry- Then again, maybe it'll be different from drinking red wine at the island. I can hope, anyway! Before I have time to really worry about it, I'm handed a small handmade cup filled with sake, and Uncle Keiichi is pouring for all the other uncles as well.

"So!" my father prompts after a sip, and an appreciative nod at Uncle Keiichi. "Tell us how it happened?"

Oh, boy... I take a sip of the acrid drink myself - sweeter than it smells, surprisingly, and start to recount my experience...

* * *

><p>After a dreamless sleep, thanks to the sake I drank with my uncles, probably, I wake up a bit too early. There's unwelcome sunlight coming in through a crack in the blinds, and I can hear one of my aunts shushing a cousin and sternly ordering, "Let Kyon-kun sleep in - he worked very hard yesterday!"<p>

After that I roll over, my head hurting a little, and drift back off.

For a brief while, I find myself in a dream ... I really must be getting better at this! I can tell right off the bat that I'm dreaming!

On the other hand, just as I think to look for Haruhi, I realize ... I'm sleeping in. Sleeping off a mild hangover, I guess... I'm distantly aware of my headache, but in the dream it's not a big deal.

Haruhi would be awake and at school by now, wouldn't she? I don't know how long this lucid dream will last, so I can't really think of what to do, either.

My dream copy of Hinamizawa isn't holding together very well - it seems like it's fading a bit. Rather than focusing to fix it, I check out the places that Haruhi and I both put creative energy into.

The Grecian temple is still looking solid ... I think it feels like she must have touched up on it recently. When I check, she's added some urns with our 'deeds' added to the sides.

Well, our last adventure, I guess - there's Himeji Castle, with me standing next to Haru-hime. Hmm, she should be giving me a kiss on the cheek, shouldn't she? Just in case I miss her, and not wanting to try the plushie trick again (it really didn't work out for me, anyway), I change the image a bit. When I'm done, the Haru-hime on the urn is giving the chase kiss on the cheek that she promised. That should do it!

After that, well ... there's not much else to do, and I get the sense that trying to craft another 'block puzzle' would be a silly way to waste time at this point, so I let myself drift into dreamless sleep once more. It's a bit disorienting, but after last night, sleeping in a little _was_ pretty nice! Unfortunately, as much as I might try, it cannot last forever, so eventually I come completely awake.

Judging by the light coming in from the windows and the chatter of my cousins, it's late morning. Everything I was hoping for ... mild hangover aside.

When I step out into the hallway, I see Aunt Rika walking toward my room, pausing an raising an eyebrow before she smirks. "You sounded like you rested well, guu, guu," she remarks, prompting me to wince at her cheerful imitation of snoring.

I snore? Ouch... "Pretty well," I agree, my voice a bit rough.

Her eyes widen and she says, "Oh," thoughtfully, before grinning. "Drink some water and take a bath," she instructs, suddenly businesslike. "Come on, now, Kyon!"

I follow her instructions and the mild discomfort starts to fade after I drink some water. Once I take a bath, I go to the kitchen and eat breakfast at the small table there alone, while my cousins are occupied in the front room.

Aunt Rena is busy washing up the dishes, and I manage to finish in time to hand over the rest of my dishes before she's done- As I do that, Aunt Rika comes back in, humming thoughtfully. Her expression is a bit more serious than earlier.

"Feeling better?" she asks.

"Shame on the boys, letting you drink," Aunt Rena chides gently, wiping down the last dish and putting it into the rack. "But I'm happy that you brought Yurie-chan and Matsu-chan back safely, too," she adds, giving me a wink. "I suppose boys _will_ be boys..."

I scratch the back of my neck, feeling a bit embarrassed about the attention. "A...ah, thanks," I managed.

Aunt Rika nods decisively. "Okay," she says, crossing her arms over her chest and looking back toward the living room. "In that case, there are two people who want to say something very important to you!"

"Eh?" I wonder- But of course, those two little girls...

Instead of her usual untempered energy, or pouting, Matsuri's head was bowed, her aura significantly more subdued than usual. Yurie looks a little embarrassed, but it doesn't keep her from smiling hugely anyway. "Kyon-nii!" she calls brightly. "Thank you very much for saving me yesterday!"

She bows very low as her mother stands at my side, raising her eyebrows and planting fists on her hips. "You're still grounded," Aunt Rena warns. "Don't be shy about it - I think we all know that you sneaked out and followed Kyon-kun to help Matsu-chan out!"

Aunt Rika smiles mysteriously at that, her eyes seeming to follow some distant point behind us.

"Ah, caught," Yurie giggles, ducking her head again.

"But," Aunt Rena sighs, deflating a little, "you did help, so I'm glad for Matsu-chan's sake that you did it."

"Hmm, but there's something else, isn't there?" Aunt Rika muses, gently prodding her daughter - even though the smaller girl's head is bowed so much she's staring straight down at her feet.

"I... I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," Matsuri mumbled.

"Was that a mouse I heard creeping about, going chu, chu?" Rika ponders, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully. "A proud daughter of Fuurude wouldn't be mistaken for that, I'm sure!"

"I- I-" Matsuri stutters and then stands up straight, her eyes shining with tears. "I'm really sorry, Kyon-nii!" she wails, beads of moisture rolling down her face. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble! I- I was being selfish, and stupid, and thanks to me, even Yurie-chan almost got hurt! And ... and I was cruel and thoughtless..." She trailed off and couldn't meet my eyes and longer. "So... So I'm sorry ... and I won't interfere with Kyon-nii and his girlfriend anymore..."

She has the wrong idea, but as embarrassing as her misunderstanding was, I get the idea I shouldn't correct her. Aunt Rena looks up from studying her own daughter to raise her eyebrows at Matsuri, and the little girl's own mother is beaming happily. I wonder who could have coached her in this speech, as I look between daughter and mother, one looking like a tiny, contrite clone of the other.

Or, as Yurie and Aunt Rena might say, I wonder, I wonder.

"Ah, well, you're still my precious cousin, Matsuri," I find myself saying, which prompts her to jolt, standing upright and staring up at me hopefully. Hey! I'd better not give her the wrong idea, here! "That's to say ... you're like another sister, for me, so I couldn't very well ignore you when you were in trouble. Just like your mother, I was worried when you were gone! So - as long as you can promise that you won't worry us like that again, I'll be happy, okay?"

"I- I promise, Kyon-nii-san!" she swears, nodding resolutely. "I'll... I'll be good." She sniffles, managing a smile even as another tear runs down her cheek.

"Good girl," Rika says, crouching low and dabbing the tears from her daughter's face with a handkerchief before sweeping her into a hug and rising, lifting her off the ground with minimal effort. "Now, Yurie-chan, Matsu-chan, you're both still grounded, but since you're behaving, as long as you're quiet, you two can stay in the same room and chat quietly, okay?"

"Okay!" Yurie chirps, echoed shortly by Matsuri, her voice muffled by her mother's handkerchief.

After they left, I let a small sigh of relief escape. Matsuri behaving... Now that was something else! And I couldn't help but notice that she had mellowed to merely calling me, 'Kyon-nii-san.' Now, if she can somehow teach my sister to call me 'Nii-san' again...

Well, that's probably too much to hope for, isn't it?

"You must miss her terribly," Aunt Rena muses sympathetically, breaking into my ruminations.

Well, it's not _that_ bad, but I actually _haven't_ gotten a chance to dream about Haruhi lately, have I?

"Poor Kyon-kun," Aunt Rena says, patting me on the shoulder as Aunt Rika returns. "I'm sure your girlfriend misses you, too!"

"She's not-" I start, before biting it back. "Er, I'm just ... thinking about all the school and club activities I'm missing..."

"Of course you are," my aunts agree in perfect harmony, smirking as they exchange a glance.

...I think I'm just going to let that slide for now. Hopefully tonight I can meet up with Haruhi! Won't _she_ love to hear about that adventure!

As I think that, Aunt Rena pads out of the kitchen. Aunt Rika shakes her head. "Ah, Kyon-kun," the woman says, beaming me another smile. "The rains have stopped, but you've been working very hard lately! So, for today, relax and go for a walk wherever you like, as long as it's safe, and not too close to the river!"

"Eh? What about the 'school work'?" I wonder.

"You've earned a day of rest, at least," she insists resolutely, giving me a wink. "You shouldn't have to play with the children and keep them busy _always_, ni-pah~!"

Well ... actually, a break like that would be nice, and it's not like I met with Haruhi to get my assignments. So, why not?

"Alright," I agree. "I guess it would be nice to hike for a bit and get some fresh air while the rain's stopped."

* * *

><p>I'd still rather be at home in Nishinomiya, with the others... But things aren't so bad. Having some time to wander and get out, while the children are all under the tight watch of their parents... Actually, after Matsuri and Yurie getting grounded, they're under even tighter watch, aren't they?<p>

It's not really fun for the aunts anymore, either. I can see why the uncles throw themselves into whatever busywork there is to deal with! My phone is out of battery - and left behind in any case. I can't take pictures, but I watch a group of JSDF helicopters deliver crates of supplies and drop a small number of people on rappelling lines in the school yard.

My vantage is from halfway down the road to Aunt Mion's house- That'd have to be a doctor, among the other specialists being dropped off. Either the ground is too muddy, or some other reason keeps them from actually landing just yet, but from what I can tell, one helicopter remains hovering for a while, probably until the figure I'm guessing is a doctor - or at least a medic - determines no one needs to be brought to a hospital.

It's interesting, for certain. While it should probably be exciting, really it mostly just reminds me that for all the 'danger' and 'adventure,' things are actually pretty safe. Ah, I shouldn't think such things, considering what almost happened yesterday!

Still, with nothing better to do, I wander the village, mostly alone and un-bothered until the afternoon. Then, thinking of how the aunts must be tired of handling the children, I do my best to help keep them distracted until it's time for bed.

Finally - after all those nights of missing it - I fall asleep and find myself in the clubroom.

My reality check lets me know that I'm dreaming, in the same comforting place I always appear. It's empty, except for me, and there's only my chair and a steaming cup of Asahina-san's tea waiting for me. Of course, I could hardly expect Haruhi to be here, could I?

Right- Ignoring the temptation of the tea, I rise and march to the door, thinking of the undersea palace. Sure enough, the door swings open, giving me a perfect view of Haruhi, grinning hugely with her hands on her hips.

"It's about time you showed up!" she barks without hesitation as I step through and let the door close behind me.

"Well, excuse my tardiness," I answer dryly. She doesn't know what I've been through! "Some things came up." She's wearing her usual 'legendary dreamer' costume instead of the outfit she wore last time.

"Hey, you're missing out on things!" she warned me.

"Like homework, and..." I trail off there, remembering.

She raises her eyebrows. "'And'?" she prompts.

I close my eyes and concentrate. When I open them, she jumps a little, looking down at the elaborate costume I saw her in last in the dream - the robes for a princess.

"Oh, yeah," she says belatedly, looking mildly on edge. "Well-"

Maybe it's just because I'm feeling a little emboldened from the praise I got for rescuing Matsuri from the floodwater, and maybe it's just because I can't deny that I wanted that reward I missed last time. In any case, I step closer to her, and she suddenly looks nervous, face reddening. "Wh-what-" she starts.

Well, here, with no one else around, Haruhi can be kind of cute, can't she? When she lets her guard down, and is still energetic and cheerful, but not so forceful... "Where were we last time?" I muse, unable to keep myself from smirking faintly. "I believe that you were going to offer a kiss to the samurai that defended your keep from the 'dread-cousin' army?" I punctuate that reminder with a gesture at the urn depicting the kiss I still hadn't gotten.

"Aaah," Haruhi groans, eyes going to one side, her blush deepening even further. "That's..."

Glancing to the same side, I see that Haruhi has another Asahina-san here, watching us with wide eyes, looking about ready both to hide and burst into giggles. For whatever reason, she's wearing her school uniform instead of the flowing white toga Haruhi had her in last time.

"Ah, what's wrong, Haruhi?" I tease, turning my attention back to Haruhi. "Oh, wait, I should say 'Haru-hime', shouldn't I? Or are you saying I lost the reward you promised me for whatever reason?"

"I- In front of- _Damn_ it, Kyon!" she groans, one hand covering her eyes.

"Well?" I prompt, backing up a step and waiting for her explanation.

"Erg... That's _really_ Mikuru-chan," she grumbles.

I snort, and am about to retort when I freeze. Well ... if _Haruhi_ and I can meet in dreams ... what's to stop someone _else_ from showing up in dreams, too?

I turn slowly back to look at Asahina-san, feeling my face heat up like I imagine Haruhi must feel right now. "A...Asahina-san?" I croak out at the upperclassman peeking at both of us from behind one of the elaborate columns.

"That's- That's _so cute_!" Asahina-san unexpectedly declares, her face red as she giggles, still mostly hiding behind the column.

Haruhi fixes me with the best death-glare she can muster while blushing intently enough to spark off fires. "Damn it, Kyon," she grumbles, half-heartedly.

I'm torn between berating myself for what Asahina-san must think of me now, and the fact that _Asahina-san_ is in the dream with us! "W...what are you doing here, Asahina-san?" I ask, hoping desperately to change the subject.

"Ah," she starts, her blush fading. She steps out from behind the column, giggling a few last times, then looks to Haruhi.

"Honestly," Haruhi sighs, one hand going to her forehead as she takes a step backward. "Anyway ... while you were gone I was investigating on my own - in case you forgot! Since you didn't manage to show up last night for whatever reason, I decided to try exploring around here a bit - in the dream."

"Oh, that makes sense," I said, nodding. Still! Reaching Asahina-san? I didn't expect that!

"You need to keep practicing," she chides me. "Seriously, not managing to get in that often? Weren't you doing much better?"

"Something came up," I return defensively, frowning.

"Well, you can tell me later," she says, crossing her arms over her chest, but not changing her costume - other than to make the 'legendary dreamer' armband reappear. "Anyway, without anything else to do, since I wasn't getting anywhere in the _real_ world, I tried to meet Mikuru-chan _here_!"

...why would I have expected otherwise from Haruhi? I feel a bit off balance, still, but that does perfectly make sense, doesn't it? Only, now ... this means that even in our sleep we'll never be free of Brigade meetings and quests!

Well, no. It's easy to make such a remark, but Haruhi is very close to finding things here, isn't she? I can't imagine she'd just want to do the same things we can do in the waking world anyway.

"That's amazing!" I say, even though I'm a little worried for Asahina-san.

"You think _that's_ amazing?" Haruhi returns, looking more her confident self. "So - thanks to meeting here, where her superiors can't shut her down, I've learned that Mikuru-chan is a time traveler, too!"

That shakes me so much the scenery around me wobbles before I steady myself. I think my real body might be slightly hyperventilating! She looks alarmed, and Asahina-san's smile fades, too, but I recover quickly enough.

I shouldn't be surprised at Haruhi making such swift progress, and it's not like I didn't encourage her about this in the first place, is it? "That's ... right," I agree. "Though ... I'm surprised she could tell you!"

"So you knew about that, and expected me to get it from her anyway?" Haruhi asks, giving me a mild scowl. "Setting up an impossible task..."

"It's more that I was confident you'd kick reason to the curb if I could just point you in the right direction," I allowed, scratching the back of my head and looking away - incidentally, right at the urn with her kissing me on the cheek. I quickly adjust my gaze to the mosaic on the floor.

"Well, I suppose that's true," she says, sounding a bit doubtful.

"But, Asahina-san, you ... can say more than just 'classified information' here?" I ask, turning to look at the other girl where she stands.

She starts, seemingly in a reverie of her own, but nods quickly, beaming a smile. "That's right! Here, anyway, and thanks to Suzumiya-san!"

"That's amazing," I reply, a bit overwhelmed. I knew she had been frustrated by that before, but if it no longer applied...

"That does really make me wonder - if it were so impossible for me to guess, why didn't you just tell me?" Haruhi asks, looking at me intently.

Well, to that...

* * *

><p>"I, er, did try to tell you once," Kyon says, scratching the back of his neck and avoiding my gaze.<p>

"You _told_ me that Mikuru was a time traveler?" I shoot back dubiously... but even as he opens his mouth to answer, I remember.

It's almost like I can see the scene again - Kyon was the only one to show up for the city search, and for _once_ he wasn't late, either. Claiming that the other Brigade members were an alien, a time traveler, and an esper... it did give me the idea for the movie castings, but if he really _meant_ it...

I snap out of my reverie to catch Kyon nodding, and notice that I really _was_ seeing it again; it's misty, like a movie being projected on a cloud, but it's that exact moment as I remember it, playing out in front of everyone. I just turn an incredulous look to Kyon, who nods again.

"I guess you _do_ remember it, then," he says with a shrug. Mikuru is just looking on with some interest; I guess it'd be new to her, since it was just me and Kyon there, but...

"Then you..." I gesture towards Mikuru. "All those months ago, you already _knew_?!"

He shifts uncomfortably at that. "I... yeah, I did. And I _did_ try to tell you, but since you didn't believe me, what else could I do? I didn't have any proof that I could give you at that point, and by the time I _could_ prove it..." He looks away and sighs. "Maybe it wasn't the best choice, but by that point it seemed like it was better to leave things the way they were unless I didn't have any other options."

I narrow my eyes at that. "So you _could_ have proved it to me later and you didn't?"

He runs his hand through his hair, still avoiding my gaze. "Yeah, there's-"

"How?" I snap at him, crossing my arms. I'm still not sure how to feel about this; he's got a valid point that if I didn't believe him anyway, there's not much he could have done to convince me of something that crazy-sounding. But if he actually _could_ have convinced me... But how would he even do that?

He takes a deep breath, looking around for a minute. As he looks over at Mikuru, his face settles, and he starts to speak. "How much has Asahina-san told you about her time traveling?"

"She was telling me a little about it before we met you, actually," I reply, scowling a bit. "She said there have been a couple of times where she had to take you into the past - one of which she wouldn't tell me about at all!" I shoot Mikuru an irritated look at that, the older girl cringing slightly under the heat of my gaze.

"That's right," Kyon agrees. "The first time was early last summer, on Tanabata."

A tingle runs up my spine at that, but I keep glaring at Kyon even as my thoughts start churning.

He grimaces a bit as he catches my look, but continues on. "Anyway, she took me to that exact same day, three years earlier. Shortly after we arrived, her 'superior' knocked her out somehow - I don't know exactly how - and told me I needed to take her with me and head to East Middle School. I ended up carrying her on my back to get there."

I can _feel_ the blood draining from my face at the realization of what he's saying sinks in; he seems to catch the change, too, and nods to me. "I think you know where I'm going with this," he confirms.

There's only one place it could be going, but... _no one_ except for me and that mysterious boy could have possibly known about it, so I want to make _sure_. "Yeah-" I swallow, my voice a little hoarse. "I'm pretty sure I know where you're going... but I want to hear _you_ say it," I challenge.

He blows out a breath, nodding. "You... do know the rest of the story. I left Asahina-san with you, while you had me get out and draw that pattern on the fields. Right as we were finishing up, we talked about aliens, espers, and time travelers, and I... told you that my name was John Smith."

Hearing it confirmed... I work to keep my expression neutral as I reply - I'm both really excited and really ticked off, and I'm not sure how I want to go from here. I can at least add confirmation of my own, though. "Well, I can definitely say that would have convinced me," I affirm, giving Kyon a flat stare. "And so you've had something that would have convinced me for almost a _year_ and haven't said anything."

He sighs in response. "That happened almost a year ago, yeah - but I had no idea you'd believe me about it until almost Christmas. And that's when I realized I shouldn't say anything until I needed to, but that's a long story, maybe something for another time. I don't know that we'll have enough time to get through the whole thing tonight."

I furrow my brow at that. "Why'd it take you that long to realize it?"

"That's... a really long story," he replies. "And I do want to tell you, but somehow... eh, I guess I'd rather do it when we're awake, and it's not going to get cut off by one of us waking up. If I get started now, I really doubt I'd be able to finish it tonight."

If the story really is that long, he's probably right - we've been interrupted enough times by him getting pulled out of the dream, and I'd be pretty ticked off if I had to wait a whole day to get the story finished. "Fine, I'll accept that for now - but you're going to have to tell me something else instead, then!" I shoot back. "Mikuru-chan said she'd time traveled three times since she came back to the past, and she told me about two of them - but that I'd have to ask you about one. So what's going on with that?"

He looks to Mikuru at that, pausing for a moment to think. "Which time... wait, would that be the time I asked you to take me back? Around New Year's?"

She opens her mouth to reply, then just nods unhappily instead.

He nods, then pauses like he's considering what to say next. Rather than put up with that, though, I break into his train of thought. "If it's going to take you that long to figure out how to tell me, then _show_ me!" I bark.

"...what?" Kyon just gives me a lost look.

"The same thing I did by accident, just a few minutes ago," I retort, shaking my head. "When I remembered you telling me about the rest of the Brigade! You can do the same thing to show me what happened that time!"

He glances over at Mikuru again at that, considering, then nods. And just like that, we're surrounded by fog, then shapes and voices and details start to emerge. We're in front of the school gate, and it's dark out, although it's hard to tell whether it's because it's really late or really early.

Kyon is there, not once but twice; so is Yuki, although one version of her is wearing glasses and the other isn't. Mikuru's also there, standing with a worried look near the Kyon and the Yuki-without-glasses, but the other pair has nothing more than a shadowy figure with them. I can tell it's a woman, and it feels vaguely familiar, but it's particularly weird because I can easily make out details about the second Kyon and Yuki, who are just as far away.

I shoot Kyon a scowl, but he just shakes his head as all of the figures start to move. Nothing much seems to happen at first, aside from Yuki-without-glasses explaining that the other group can't see or hear them, then-

Mikuru - the real one, not the one from the memory - lets out a whimper as a figure with long blue hair runs up to Kyon and the mystery woman. Just as I manage to put a name to the face - that has to be our old class rep, Asakura Ryouko, the one who disappeared all of a sudden - I let out a gasp of my own as she drives a knife into the second Kyon's back. At that, the Mikuru-in-the-memory cries out and tries to rush over to the Kyon that got stabbed, but runs into some kind of invisible wall; after a few seconds, it seems to disappear and she's able to finish running over to hold onto Kyon, who's looking pretty bad at this point.

I'll admit, I'm pretty pissed off about that for a minute; that should be _me_ out there taking care of Kyon! But then I remember that this is only a memory, and I didn't even have any idea this had happened until just now, so there's not much point in getting angry over something that happened who knows how long ago. In the brief moment of distraction, though, I lose track of everyone but the Kyon and Mikuru from the memory, until a flare of light catches the corner of my eye. Looking up, I see Asakura dissolving into light - how the hell did that happen? - and then the shadowy woman makes a move, putting a hand on Mikuru's neck and somehow making her pass out.

Most of the conversation's been pretty muted throughout all of this; I don't know whether it's because Kyon doesn't remember that many details or because it doesn't make much of a difference to what he's trying to show, but at this point I can make out the shadowy figure speaking to the Kyon that's _not_ currently bleeding all over the pavement.

"I put her to sleep," she says, and I'd _swear_ it was Mikuru talking - the voice is almost identical, but not quite. Mikuru herself - the one here in the dream - furrows her brow as she hears the woman's voice. "I can't let her know I'm here," she continues, stroking memory-Mikuru's hair. "I had to do this. Don't tell her about me."

At that, the scene freezes, then dissolves back into mist before we all reappear back in the palace of Atlantis. "There was more to that trip," Kyon says, sounding tired, "but most of it was the two Nagato-sans talking to each other, and the rest of it was details about getting from when and where we were back to where I was supposed to be - all of this is connected with that 'coma' I was in just before Christmas."

"But you weren't stabbed then!" I reply, shaking my head. "You fell down the stairs, and that's how you wound up in the hospital!"

"What I remember of that whole time was completely different," Kyon disagrees, avoiding my gaze for now. "But that's the long story that we don't have time for right now. I'll just say that Nagato was at the center of that whole thing, and Asahina-san was mostly helping me pick up the pieces afterwards and get things back to normal."

Mikuru herself looks somewhat troubled at something, but it doesn't appear to be the same as the reaction she showed in the memory when Kyon was stabbed. Seeing that, though, I can understand why she didn't really want to tell me about it! But it does remind me about the shadowy woman, though - she seemed to be helping Kyon out as well, and she did _something_ to Mikuru, too. "Who was that other woman, though? The one whose face I couldn't see?"

"I'm... not supposed to say," he says, shooting an apologetic look at Mikuru. "I might be able to tell _you_ later, Haruhi, but I'm not supposed to tell Asahina-san any details. All I should probably say is that she told me she's Asahina-san's superior as a time traveler."

"But... my supervisor isn't a woman," Mikuru says, looking troubled.

"She sure looked like one to me!" I shoot back. "And sounded like one, too - hell, if I had my eyes closed I would have sworn it was another Mikuru-chan, it sounded almost exactly like her!"

* * *

><p>Not for the first time, I felt uncertainty that I should be allowed to make important decisions, or try to handle major issues. On the other hand, I <em>had<em> decided that Haruhi deserved to know the truth. Keeping a secret from her didn't feel right at all- And I was never exactly thrilled about keeping that secret from Asahina-san, either.

I cough, a painfully fake thing, prompting Haruhi to give me an unimpressed, flat stare. Even Asahina-san rouses herself from her contemplation to give me a wan smile.

"Um," I say, thinking I should change the topic. I would think that with this much information, Asahina-san will figure it out. Certainly, _Haruhi_ will, and I can't see her leaving things alone the way they are. Maybe it's a bit selfish, and I'm somewhat using Haruhi to break the truth to Asahina-san?

I can't really be thrilled about that, but honesty is what we were searching for, so I guess I'll have to hope that's for the best.

"Well?" Haruhi prompts impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping a foot.

"There's more, still," I sighed. "I mean, a lot more, but I don't know how much time we have."

"Where were you last night, anyway?" Haruhi asks instead, uncrossing her arms and leaning forward to peer at me.

I scratch my head. "I, uh, stayed up late chatting with my uncles about-"

At this point, I'd expect to be woken up by one of my cousins, but instead Haruhi looks sharply to one side. "Oh, shoot!" she exclaims, before fuzzing out and ... vanishing.

"...um," I manage.

"Ah, she woke up," Asahina-san remarks belatedly.

Well ... how about that? Just like I'd imagined, here I am alone in the dreamspace with Asahina-san. Somehow, not quite how I'd envisioned it. Ultimately, I can't really help but think that like this is maybe a bit better than what I would have originally aimed for?

Unless she starts asking difficult questions, at least!

She looks quietly thoughtful, but instead of asking me anything, she smiles and shakes her head. "Thank you, Kyon-kun," she says, ducking her head a short distance. "Um, was there something you wanted me to pass on to her?"

"I ... I think I've given her enough to worry about, really," I say, shrugging, offering a weak smile of my own. "Just that I'll try and meet her tomorrow, I guess? Ah, and you as well, Asahina-san."

She shrugs slightly, looking more confident than I'm used to seeing her - more like the Asahina-san that orders her around. It's a bit sad in some ways to see that lovely, adorable person fade, but I can't help but be happier for her a little bit, too. "I think you've said exactly enough," she remarks cheerfully. "So, thank you, Kyon-kun! I hope I can see you tomorrow, as well."

That sounded like goodbye. As much as I wouldn't mind hanging out and spending time with Asahina-san, she probably has a lot to think about as well.

"Oh," I realize belatedly, frowning. "I forgot to ask her about my assignments."

Giggling, Asahina-san suggests, "Maybe you can call her tomorrow?"

Well, if the phone lines were up, that would be a real possibility. Hmm, could that be a slip up on Asahina-san's part? She already knows they'll be up? Well, with that, I can confidently answer, "I'll do that, then. Thanks again, Asahina-san."

"Rest well, Kyon-kun," she says with a small wave, as I feel myself drifting back toward wakefulness. How strange - she seems to be much better at managing this than either Haruhi or myself!

* * *

><p>Once I'm awake, I muse that Asahina-san has probably had training with that sort of thing. I wonder if it's a big deal in the future? It very well could be!<p>

But for the present, I have other concerns. After waking up and leaving the guest room I've been staying in for far too long, Aunt Mion remarks, "You're up early today, Kyon-kun! And on your own, too!"

Ouch! That sounds like a comment my mother might make! But ... I do feel pretty well rested - that's true. "It must be this mountain air," I defer.

She nods thoughtfully. "Glad you enjoyed your walk yesterday," she says, nodding again, looking satisfied with herself. "The uncles just finished taking their baths, so I'll let you go before your cousins!"

"Alright," I agree, nodding. "Thanks, Aunt Mion."

Of course, thinking about things ... my aunts - and probably some cousins - had to wash the laundry by hand, due to the loss of power. I should be grateful I still have clean clothes! I grab them, trying to avoid thinking how much work that must have been, and head to the washroom.

I see Uncle Keiichi on the way in, wearing some sturdy work clothes and tugging his shirt into place. He nods and says, "Good morning, Kyon-kun! How are you doing today?"

"Fine, thanks," I answer, nodding. "You?"

"Good," he answered with a grin. "It's lucky we still have water and gas, so we can keep clean!"

"I'll say," I answer, nodding. "Um, the phone line was taken down, right? How long until you think they have it repaired?"

"Well, I'm not sure," he says, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to one side, eyes closed as he thinks. "I mean, the cables are down, and I imagine that the power is a higher priority. If we happened to have enough of the right cable, in theory we could just patch it in..." He trails off with a smile, shaking his head. "Well, I'm not actually an expert, but we've got a few at the school. I think we'd need power somewhere, too, but at the rate things are going, I'd expect we're going to need to wait until we get power back. Probably a week - at least not until after they get the road clear."

"Oh," I answer, frowning. Asahina-san had suggested I'd call ... I supposed that meant that they'd find the cable they needed after all, wouldn't it?

Uncrossing his arms and giving me a sympathetic look that didn't hide his amused grin, he gently teases, "Miss your girlfriend and want to call her?"

I'm about to correct him when I glance to one side and see a wide-eyed Matsuri and Yurie peeking at me around the doorframe. I _really_ don't want to give Matsuri an excuse to latch onto me and so just shrug awkwardly.

"Hold in there, Kyon-kun," he says with a chuckle, slapping me on the shoulder. "I'm sure it'll work out!"

"R...right," I agree, quickly hurrying into the washroom. No reason to make my cousins wait longer than they have to, after all. Certainly, I don't want them getting impatient and barging in!

* * *

><p>After a quick wash, I am recruited once again into cousin-keeping duties. As Matsuri and Yurie are grounded, Aunt Rena gives me the solemn duty of bringing them their meals. They had already had their own chance to wash, together ... but separate from the other cousins. It was pretty severe, and I had an inkling that Matsuri, at least, had already learned her lesson.<p>

I was almost _positive_ that Yurie had. But I was just as sure that Yurie was impervious to _part_ of the lesson- She'd stand by her friends and do what she could for them no matter what. And I had to think that the pair of them sharing a room for the term of their punishment was the aunts' subtle acknowledgement and aproval of that.

I suppose that raising children must be a difficult task!

Balancing the tray with their lunches on it, I rap a knuckle on the door. Yurie slides it open very promptly. "Is that the warden, I wonder, I wonder?" she asks impishly, looking up at me.

Warden?

"We want time off for good behavior!" Matsuri insists, standing beside Yurie with her hands on her hips, scowling.

Another of their games - prisoners together, huh?

"Maybe, and maybe not," I say neutrally, stepping in and setting the tray on the floor. What would their parents say? Looking around, I see they had a small pile of books and toys scattered across the room and most of Matsuri's. Given how many people were already staying in the house, the pair were sharing the bed, but it is big enough for them to do that comfortably.

Setting the tray on the small section of clear space at the desk, where I suspect their breakfast tray had been set earlier, I remark, "Since I'm just a lowly guard, I think that if the room were straightened up and tidy before the actual warden came along..." I trail off there as both girls look a little abashed, glancing at the toys and books strewn across the floor, and the unmade bed.

I give them a wink and added, "I'll be back in about thirty minutes to take care of your dishes."

"Okay, Kyon-nii-san!" they chorus, smiling.

Stepping out in the hall, I catch Aunt Rika lurking out of the children's sight, smiling in amusement. Within, I can distantly hear the children moving to the desk and chattering about cleaning up.

Looking very thoughtful about things, Aunt Rika muses, "It seems that they brought the phone lines up!"

Hey! Just like I had thought!

"How did it happen?" I ask curiously. "Uncle Keiichi thought it might be difficult?"

"It is," she agrees, nodding. "Hmm, your Uncle Keiichi said that some of the people staying at the school turned up a cable, and they were able to patch it through! It's a temporary solution, but they can get the phone up for a few hours a day!"

"That's great!" I say. Belatedly, I realize, "Oh, but we probably need to let the phones be used for emergencies first."

"We have the radio for that," she counters. "The phone is working at the school, too - Kei-kun called to let us know it was working, after all. But all of _my_ family is right here, ni-pah~!"

"Eh?"

"Kyon-kun can make a phone call," she said simply, smiling. "Everyone at the school is calling friends and family to let them know they're safe! Kyon-kun can do that, too! To call a friend, or ... someone else very important? Ri~in, ri~in, and then doki-doki, doki-doki!"

So, a convenient and unexpectedly working phone system, huh? And I have a chance to use it while Matsuri is completely distracted, too? Well, I smile at my aunt's impression of the phone ringing, and ignore the reference to a pounding heart and what _that_ implies. In no time at all, I'm down the hall and reaching for the handset.

Teasing from my aunts and uncles aside, I really _do_ have to check in with Haruhi, don't I? Meeting in dreams is great, too, but it would be nice to speak in the waking world!

The normal cordless phone was stuck in a drawer, and an older corded phone temporarily replaced it - one that could work while the power was out. But sure enough, when I lift it from the cradle, I could hear the sound of the dial-tone!

* * *

><p>School's been more of a pain than usual this entire week, and not <em>just<em> because Kyon hasn't been here. I can't simply tune it out entirely; if I'm going to keep giving Kyon his assignments at night, I have to know what they are, after all. That said, though, I can't really focus on it either - there's just too many other things going on!

The fundraiser is tomorrow, and there's no telling how that's going to go; there's still a ton to do just to get that organized, which is probably going to take up a big chunk of lunch and all of the breaks for the rest of today. I don't even know if we'll make enough money to get the whole Brigade up to Hinamizawa, much less what we'll do with any leftover money, since I _do_ want to make sure it gets put to good use helping with the disaster. Should I just donate the extra to the Red Cross, or should we actually try to take supplies in with us when we go? And what kind of supplies should we take if we do? If we've got to go cross-country to get to the village itself, anything we take with us is going to make the trip that much harder, after all.

And if that wasn't enough, there's also the Brigade itself. Now that I know Kyon actually _wasn't_ kidding around last year, I need to figure out what to do about the fact that I've got an esper, a time traveler, and an alien in my very own club - and I hadn't realized a thing until I got a hint! I still don't know much about Yuki or Koizumi - I'm hoping that I can at least watch for clues in the Brigade meeting this afternoon - but in Mikuru's case I've got to deal with the fact that she's not just a time traveler, but one that's been trapped into coming to the past and hiding what she is from me! I know there has to be _something_ we can do about that, but without a clear plan (so far, anyway) it's just one more worry on the pile.

I turn and rest my chin on my hand as I stare out the window, the teacher's voice fading to a drone in the background. There's one other thing that's bothering me about the rest of the Brigade, too. Okay, sure - I'm ready to accept that they're really espers and aliens and what have you, but the question then is _why_ - why did they join the Brigade but not tell me? They obviously told Kyon, or he found out about it, but they had to have been hiding things from me - I think I'd have noticed if there was anything that unusual going on!

So why hide it from me, and why tell Kyon? Is there something special about me that I _shouldn't_ know, or is it that there's something special about him that he _should_?

Just as I'm trying to come to grips with that thought, I'm interrupted by the chiming of my cell phone - what the hell? Who in the world is going to be calling me in the middle of class?

"Suzumiya!" the teacher barks, shooting a glare at me that I ignore for now. It has to be some kind of emergency; no one I know would bother actually calling me in the middle of the school day.

Except that when I finally get my phone out and look at the number, it's not a name or number I immediately recognize - although from the fact that there's a name at all it's a number I should know. By the time I work it out, the teacher is halfway to my desk.

"It's Kyon!" I exclaim, holding up a hand. "They must have gotten the phone lines working in Hinamizawa!"

The teacher stops at that, still scowling. "Take it in the hall, then," he allows grudgingly. "And keep it brief."

Not that I'd have cared about getting permission anyway, but that's all the excuse I need, bolting from my chair and snapping the phone open before I even make it to the door.

"Kyon, is that you?" I'm trying to keep my voice down, but it's hard - if this is really him, I want to shout at him! I know the phone lines have been down, so it's not entirely his fault he couldn't call, but still.

"What, not even a hello?" From that sarcastic drawl, it pretty much _has_ to be Kyon!

"Who else is going to be dumb enough to call me in the middle of a school day?" I snap back, although I can't help but grin. Even with the time we've spent dreaming together at night, it's good to hear his voice for real.

"It-" He sighs at that, audible even over the poor phone connection. They must not have everything completely back to normal yet; there's a ton of static on the line. "I didn't even think about that. The power's been out for so long up here that none of the clocks have the correct time anymore. I just found out from my aunt that they'd gotten the lines patched up, although apparently they can only allow calls for a few hours a day.

"Anyway, Aunt Rika said I should go ahead and make any calls I wanted to, since it's not like we really have family to contact - the family's all _here_, after all."

"Well, it's good you called," I retort. "You're looking at some serious penalties from missing so many Brigade activities! You may have gotten a pass for Golden Week, but that's as far as it went! You'll have plenty of explaining to do the next time I see you!" Of course, the penalties are just a joke, but I can't really bring myself to come out and _say_ how relieved I really am.

"I'll be prepared," he responds dryly... and that, as much as anything, tells me he saw through it anyway. Which I suppose I can deal with, at least from him.

"Anyway, I'd better run," I say, glancing back into the classroom. "You really _did_ call in the middle of class, after all. Will I be able to call you back later?"

"From what I understand, you can try but there's no guarantee you'll get through. They can only keep the lines up for a few hours a day for some reason," comes the response.

"All right, then before I go- do you have any idea when you're actually going to get back?"

Another sigh comes over the line. "No. The last I heard from my parents was that we'd leave when it the roads were clear and it was 'safe', but there's no real telling how long that'll be. I'll let you know if I hear anything more definite than that."

"I'll hold you to that, then!" I retort. "So... take care of yourself until then, Kyon. I mean it!"

"I will," he answers back. "And... thanks, Haruhi."

I can feel a blush coloring my cheeks at that, so I say my goodbyes quickly and hang up. It takes me a minute to regain my composure before I head back into the classroom.

One thing's for sure, though - if things are still that uncertain about when Kyon's coming home, we've absolutely got to go up there to get him!


	11. Dream a Little Dream of Me

In Your Dreams - Chapter Eleven

Dream a Little Dream of Me

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>Even though I have fallen into the most dreadful of all things possible - a routine - I've gotten used to being stuck in the mountains. The brief reprieve to check in with the Brigade chief helped, for some reason, and I found myself helping my cousins with their lessons with a bit more vigor. When my aunts needed something moved, my step was lighter.<p>

That single phone call for the few hours the lines were up helped quite a bit!

When evening rolls around and the entire family is brought together to eat by lantern light, Yurie and Matsuri are given a temporary reprieve and allowed to join everyone else for dinner.

Both of them are well behaved - well, Yurie almost always is, but Matsuri is still her more quietly reformed self. They share a side of the kotatsu while their mothers parcel out food.

"It's a good thing we picked up so many supplies," I remark to Uncle Keiichi, thinking of our shopping trip to Okinomiya.

"That's true," he answers, nodding. "A real stroke of luck. But you know, it's not half as fortunate as finding that cable to patch the phone line!"

I can't help but smile, thinking about Haruhi and how she must have subconsciously made that whole thing possible. I should _probably_ be more alarmed, but her powers being used to help people? That strikes me as fine, really. Maybe a little bit selfishly, I'm also okay with it because it benefits me-

Anyway, the effect was subtle enough, wasn't it? Still... "How unlikely?" I wonder.

"It was in the back of the emergency supply shed," Uncle Keiichi explains, shrugging. "That's checked and rotated around every few months, though, so it's odd that the exact cable we'd need and all the tools turned up in the back of the shed suddenly. In fact, I'm not sure how we missed it earlier, since we were using the blankets and pillows from that shed anyway."

"A lucky stroke!" Aunt Rika exclaims cheerfully. "Pin-pon!"

Uncle Keiichi shrugs at her sound-effect, smiling softly. "Lucky indeed," he agrees.

Well, once in a while, that sort of thing is probably okay. Yurie and Matsuri look strangely thoughtful - but then, they've been cooped up all day, haven't they?

Being thankful once more that we still have fresh water and gas, I shrug myself, just enjoying my aunts' cooking.

* * *

><p>My reality-check lets me know I'm in a dream almost the moment I arrive. Naturally, I'm in the clubroom again, and if not in a dream, why else would I be there?<p>

I'm stuck in Hinamizawa, after all!

The surroundings seem largely unchanged - I have to wonder if this place will stick around like Haruhi's little palace? I suppose it's just being refreshed by the fact that I always appear here, so probably not.

More importantly, I can meet up with Haruhi! There's also the possibility of running into Asahina-san again, which wouldn't be bad either!

Of course, when I open the door, set to the Grecian undersea palace ... there's no sign of Haruhi at all.

As it's hardly the first time _that_ has happened, I turn back to the door, closing it and thinking of her. No luck, unfortunately. The door opens to the very worn and abstract remnants of my block-puzzle village, first. Instead of refreshing it, I grimace at the unwanted sight and close the door, trying again.

After the third familiar but empty vista, I close the door a bit more forcefully.

Alright. That just means that Haruhi isn't here. Maybe she's up late, or just too tired.

I think of Asahina-san suddenly- I could see her, couldn't I? I grab the doorknob, but pause before opening it. I don't mind her company in the slightest ... but I had just given her some hints to determine who her superior actually was, hadn't I?

Could I really handle being around her without blurting the rest of it out?

I know my own limits, and in some areas they might be too weak!

Well, what else is there to do?

Glancing at an urn which depicts a figure that must be Asahina-san meeting Haruhi in the dream, it suddenly occurs to me. I could try and find the dreams of others, couldn't I? Now, who could I look for?

My cousins? I think for some reason I'd rather avoid those. The same for the rest of my family, really.

In fact, thinking about it, I'd really only want to try and reach the dreams of people who could understand what it meant. Just wandering into, say, Taniguchi's dreams wouldn't be satisfying. Other than the fact that I'm certain I know what he'd dream of and don't really care for that, I _especially_ don't want to deal with him blathering that he'd dreamed about me at school the next day, even if I don't have to be there for it!

In a flash of insight, I realize there's someone who I should be able to meet without any problems at all. While I know I can rely on Haruhi to look out for the Brigade, there's one other person who's just as dependable, isn't there?

That thought in mind, I firmly envision that reliable person, closing my eyes and grabbing the doorknob. It twists in my hand and a soft breeze gently tugs it open.

I know I must be smiling as though pleased with myself as I open my eyes once more and step forward - into a soft green meadow, glowing in the bright sun. I take a moment to admire my surroundings. They're green, gently rolling hills that stretch as far as I can see. Directly behind me is the door I came in through, incongruously standing on a platform at one edge of a giant archway.

I think it may actually be a perfect circle, only slightly more than the top half of it above ground.

A wide river lazily flows from the other side of the archway and across the valley floor before winding around a hill and out of sight. Directly below the doorway, and perfectly following the river, is a cobbled path.

Of course, this is a dream, so in addition to all of those scenic features is something really astounding. The other side of the archway lets me see a far more alien space! For starters, a pair of suns are in that foreign sky - a tiny blue star and a much larger red orb. Their total light is dimmer than the golden illumination from the sun directly overhead - but through the archway, I can see that the alien landscape is covered with sprawling buildings of all kinds as far as I can see!

Clouds of flying metallic shapes - Vehicles? Robots? - stream between buildings and through the sky on the other side of the portal, and I find myself taking a step back to appreciate it. I suppose for a dream, neither of these are very fantastic, but the juxtaposition is something else entirely!

But where can I find who I'm looking for here?

As I think this, I hear an oddly grating, somewhat synthesized sound, and turn in alarm, hopping into the air. Hey! Where did that come from!?

I almost laugh at the sight, once I recover from my alarm and drift down to the ground slowly.

The creature there chews on the grass in front of it, giving me a flat, yet simultaneously amused stare. The speaker grill on its side emits another partially synthesized, "Baaah," before it turns and wanders away, across the valley floor.

I really _do_ laugh at the power cord hanging where the tail should be!

Following it at a trot, I find the landscape blurring away, and almost instantly reach a distant hilltop. The river and its portal sparkle in the sun behind us, but directly ahead is the person I was looking for!

She looks up from where she's lounging on a lawn chair, wearing one of her outfits from our long-ago summer vacation. The book in her hands has a title that I can't decipher, but I smirk, glancing at a small cluster of the creatures I followed here.

Unable to help myself, I ask, "Do you really dream of electric sheep, Nagato?"

"I can," she answers smoothly, surprising me a tiny bit. I'd have just expected a nod!

"What do you normally dream of, then?" I wonder.

"I do not normally dream," she replies. "But it is necessary to meet you here."

...really? I scratch my head at that. "You mean, you needed to meet me here?"

She gives that familiar, tiny shake of her head in response.

"Then - you mean that you couldn't meet me here unless you had a dream?"

That gets me her familiar tiny nod.

Well! Momentarily at a loss, I just scratch the back of my head again. After a moment I close my eyes and envision another chair - and a low table with an umbrella over it. When I open them again, those things have appeared, so I take the other chair without hesitation.

Actually, this is kind of nice, too.

Nagato sets her book on the table, and I ask, "So ... is this that 'new space' that Haruhi created?"

"Yes," she answers softly.

Settling back into the ridiculously comfortable chair, I sigh. "Well ... for better or for worse, this has set things into motion." Though, thinking about things... "I'm pretty sure Haruhi used her powers to fix the phone line at Hinamizawa, too."

"The IDSE tracked notable data creation at that point, but was not able to fully analyze it," Nagato answers, eyes seemingly locked on me.

Hmm, so they might want to study it? I guess as long as they don't interfere that's probably fine. "At first I was thinking it was alright for her to do that without knowing what she can really do. Now that I think it over a bit more, I think it's for the best that she figure things out - especially with this 'shared dream' thing."

Her head tilts slightly, but she remains silent.

"Er, I mean ... these things are harmless, but if these kinds of changes are being made, then the one responsible should be aware! I mean, otherwise it's not really 'responsibility' as much as the person who is 'to blame'..." I trail off, realizing I'm rambling pointlessly. "Um, it's nice to see you again, Nagato."

"I am glad you are well," she answers, startling me a bit, giving her trademark tiny nod.

Well, why can't she have sentiment? It's been a while since we've met or talked! "I- I guess what I'm trying to say is that for better or for worse, Haruhi is on the path to figure ... well ... everything out. But you probably already noticed that, didn't you?"

I get the strangest, tiniest inkling that she's smirking, with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she says, "I am aware."

Hmm? What's that mean? I guess it's probably best not to worry... Anyway, even if I'm comfortably lucid dreaming, I'm supposed to sleep normally too, aren't I? That thought in mind, it's probably best to drift off to real sleep.

"In any case, hopefully I'll be able to come back home soon," I muse. "Though, I guess if I don't, we can still meet here! Anyway, I should probably rest, but it was good to meet you."

"See you soon," she answers, as I relax, letting my awareness sink away.

* * *

><p>It's almost with regret that I make my reality check, recognizing that I'm in the dream again - although given the landscape, it's almost pointless, as this place doesn't look like it could exist anywhere in the Japan <em>I<em> know.

I'm standing at the edge of a fairly sizable lake that's covered in streamers of mist. That in itself isn't all that unusual; the huge western-style mansion that's standing above the mist _is_, however. It's not quite as big as Himeji Castle was, but it has to be the biggest house I've ever seen in person - or dreamed, I suppose, since I'm not really seeing it. It's hard to tell whether the mansion's on an island in the lake or on the far shore, or even whether it might be built directly out of the water - the mist is thick enough to conceal the base.

The other odd thing about the scene is the irregular patches of ice covering the surface of the lake. It's definitely not cold enough here for it to have formed naturally, but there are odd-shaped stretches of it all the way across the lake, at least as far as I can see.

While it's an interesting view - if not as wild and crazy as some of the other places I've found myself in - I put it out of my mind, suppressing a sigh as I do so. While I'm not going to _complain_ about finding myself in a dream again, after the day I've just had I'd almost rather get some normal sleep, where I don't actually have to _think_ about what I'm dealing with.

After Kyon's call, most of the rest of the day passed in a blur. The entire lunch period was taken up with more arrangements for the fundraiser. The number of people wanting to participate just keeps on growing; at this point it's almost turned into a second cultural festival, with a dozen different clubs and classes all putting together events to help raise money. I have to admit the turnout's surprised even me; Hinamizawa's a tiny little village that's halfway across Japan, after all, but I suppose the fact that there's someone from our school that's affected by the disaster - even if a lot of the students don't know him personally - gives everyone a bit more incentive to help out.

I'd probably be even more fried if it wasn't for Tsuruya. After classes were over, she caught up with me in the Brigade room and offered to help take over a lot of the legwork in organizing at this point, which was awesome of her - and she was right, too, as it really was getting too big for one person to take care of all the coordination.

Even with all the stress, though, there have been some awesome payoffs already. One of them's been the change in Mikuru; I didn't have much of a chance to talk to her today, but she looked more confident and focused today than I think I've ever seen before. She didn't say it outright, but she implied that she wouldn't be able to make it to the dream tonight due to some other business she needed to take care of.

Dealing with Yuki was a little odd, realizing that she was actually an alien; I didn't call her out on it directly yet, but I think she somehow knew that I'd figured it out anyway. And for Koizumi's part, he actually seemed to be making an effort to avoid me for some reason; I did see him while I was running around during breaks, but at the club meeting he didn't even show up, just sent a text that an emergency had come up with his fake 'part-time job' and he wouldn't be able to make it. I really do want to know what he was _actually_ doing, though!

I think the best thing to happen so far, though, was what happened after the club meeting was over and we were all leaving. Just after I'd finished locking up the clubroom and was turning to leave, I'd spotted him. He was waiting at the end of the hallway in a shadow, and I might not have even spotted him if I hadn't caught the sunlight reflecting off his glasses.

_Why_ the student council president was outside the club room, I still have no idea. I'd have expected him to try chewing me out for one thing or another; the fundraiser kind of _had_ taken over the school over the past few days, and he probably wanted the student council to be able to claim credit for it. Instead of saying anything to me, though, he just turned his back and stalked off, and I could have sworn I heard his teeth grinding when he did.

Honestly, I don't even notice how much time passes while I reminisce; there's actually something relaxing to just sit back for a few minutes and file away the events of the day. While I'm in the middle of them all I can really think about is what's necessary right at that minute. Either way, though, I don't really want to waste the entire night rehashing what happened today. I reach up to turn the page to Kyon, then pause.

While it's awesome being able to have fun with Kyon like this, I've already proven that I can find other people here, too. Maybe I should see if I can find one of the others, too? Catching Mikuru in her dream was enough to show me what she really was, after all, and while I've got Kyon's words to go off of now - at least now that I _remember_ them - it'll be good to find some corroborating evidence on my own, too.

With that in mind, though, who should I look for?

Yuki... hmm. She's as much as confirmed what she is to me already, and I really get the feeling if I was to ask her in the real world at this point, she'd just tell me. The idea of checking out an alien's dreams is really intriguing, but there's also the question of whether she dreams _at all_, or if it's anything I could even get into? Mikuru was human, just from a different time, after all, so presumably humanity itself hasn't changed all that much between now and whenever she's from.

Koizumi, though... In Koizumi's case, I still don't know much at all about him. He wasn't even _around_ to try to get clues from in the Brigade meeting today, so the only things I have to go on in his case are that Kyon said he was an esper and that he was obviously covering up his Brigade absences with a fake part-time job. And presumably an esper will be a lot more similar to regular humans than an actual alien would be, so trying to find his dreams should be a lot easier.

The decision isn't even in question, really. With my mind made up, I reach up and turn the page-

* * *

><p>It takes me a minute to regain my senses after the shift this time, but when I do, I can tell I'm moving pretty fast - I'm matching pace with what looks like an old steam locomotive heading through the foothills of a large mountain range, pulling a passenger train behind it. It's a little strange, though - where's Koizumi, if this is really his dream? And where am <em>I<em>, for that matter, to be watching the train from outside like this?

Of course, figuring that last part out doesn't take long; as near as I can tell, I'm not _anywhere_. It's almost like the very first time I managed to get into a lucid dream, where I left my body behind and went looking around, except that this time there's no body to go back to; the only thing I seem to be drawn towards is the train itself.

Should make it easy to spy on Koizumi! But first things first - I'll need to find him.

With that, I move into the train itself. Fortunately, since I'm disembodied at the moment, moving through the walls of the train should be simple. I'll start with the caboose and work my way up; that way, I'll be sure not to miss Koizumi no matter where he is.

This train is... strange, though. From the outside it looks completely normal, but once I make it inside... it's an absolute wreck! It's totally bizarre, too; the caboose looked completely intact from the outside, but once I make it inside it looks like a burned-out hulk, with holes smashed through the walls and floor. I can see the sleepers zipping past through one of them - this train is really moving!

There's no sign of anyone here, though, so I keep moving forward. The passenger cars look like what I'd expect from a train this old; it's like something out of _Murder on the Orient Express_, with separate passenger compartments that open out into a hallway along one side of the car. The cars immediately in front of the caboose are empty, but these look like they've been through a warzone too - just not as much as the caboose did. There are what look like bullet holes through both walls in the hallway, and even what appears to be a bloodstain coming from underneath one of the doors, although when I stick my head in to see what caused it there's no sign that anyone's inside.

It's a little disturbing, but remembering that this is just a dream helps a bit with that. The next car up the line is the dining car, and this is the first place I run into actual _people_ - although it's nothing like I would have expected! The tables are filled with what look like old-time American mobsters, even down to having pistols and violin cases that _have_ to have tommy guns in them! They don't appear to be doing anything in particular, though - just sitting at the tables drinking and playing cards.

A movement behind the bar catches my attention, though... and when I turn to look, I _really_ pay attention! Mikuru's just coming out from behind the bar, and she's wearing a red Western-style evening gown that's covered in sequins, cut extra low on top and extra high on the bottom - there are slits for her legs on both sides, stretching way above her hips.

This Mikuru isn't moe at all - this is just straight-out sex appeal, and then some!

The fact that I'm disembodied means she pays no attention to me at all, if she even recognizes that I'm here in the first place. She literally sashays out from behind the bar, heading through the door leading towards the front of the train. She's not just sexy, she knows it if she's flaunting it like that! While she's definitely not hard on the eyes, I can't help but be reminded of that fake Mikuru I saw when I was looking for Kyon in the dream the first time.

Even more so when I follow her out of the dining car! She's got herself plastered up against what looks like a conductor, rubbing that huge chest of hers against his arm- geez, I'm totally jealous!

"You can let me past - I just want to check on a friend of mine that's in another car," she purrs.

"I'm- I'm really sorry, miss, but I can't let anyone through right now," the conductor replies, swallowing nervously. I can't blame him for that! "I can send word to one of the other conductors and we'll see if we can't find out what happened to your friend, if you'd like."

Mikuru tugs on the uniformed man's arm at that, a petulant look on her face. "I'm sure it'll be all right. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

The conductor seems to be sweating a bit, and he's _definitely_ looking everywhere but down the cleavage Mikuru's deliberately putting on display for him. "I- I really can't, miss! I'll try to help you if I can, but the train is under lockdown until we can make sure that everything's under control - there are some dangerous people aboard right now!"

"Yes, I know," Mikuru replies, her voice seeming a lot less sultry as she-

What the actual _hell_?! _Mikuru_ just flipped the guy over her shoulder and straight off the side of the train! And from what I can see, we're rounding the slope of a mountain, so there's no telling how far that guy just fell! I instinctively cover my mouth to hide the gasp, but of course there's no gasp since I don't even _have_ a mouth at the moment.

For her part, Mikuru just lets out a low laugh as she looks out over the drop. "I know there are dangerous people on this train, silly boy. I'm one of them." With that, she throws the lever on the coupler joining the two cars together, watching the end of the train detach and drop behind as it loses speed.

"Now, I just need to 'convince' the engineer to take the train where I want it," she murmurs, adjusting her decolletage as she opens the door and strides into the next car beyond.

I can't bear to watch this Mikuru any longer, so I flee further up the train - not really paying attention to how far I'm going. By the time I've stopped, I seem to be in a baggage car, and this time it's Yuki that I'm with. She's dressed like a boy, though - a tweed jacket and shorts over a boy's shirt, with a newsboy cap pulled low over her eyes. She's acting pretty stealthily, though - peering around a stack of suitcases at a group of rough-looking men that are openly carrying machine guns and revolvers.

After seeing what Mikuru did, I almost _don't_ want to stick around to watch Yuki - but I do anyway. Is she going to turn out to be some super-skilled assassin that can take out the entire group of thugs by herself? I could just imagine her leaping into the middle of the pack, flinging oversized goons in every direction with incredible martial arts...

Yeah, right, Haruhi - like that could possibly happen! Even if she's an alien, she seems so waifish that the idea is just too surreal to take seriously. She looks more like a spy, not a fighter - someone to stay out of the way, unnoticed, gathering information while no one suspects a thing.

What she -does- do is almost as surreal as her mopping the floor with that group of mobsters, though! With a huge jump, she goes _through_ the roof of the train without a sound and without a hole, landing lightly on her feet on the riveted metal sheets that form the top of the baggage car.

"I must get to him," Yuki says softly - but who the heck is 'him'? Crouching low against the wind resistance, she starts to dash towards the front of the train - now that I notice, we're not that far from the engine.

Everyone I've seen seems to be heading for the engine, come to think of it, so it's probably not a bad idea for me, either. I have an easier time of it, though - I can just zip along above the top of the train without worrying about whatever might be going on inside.

When I get there, I've definitely found my target... or targets plural, since both Kyon and Koizumi are there. Koizumi's carrying a pistol of some kind and has a bandage stained with blood wrapped around one arm, watching the walkway around the tender, while Kyon's dressed in an old-fashioned engineer's overalls and hat.

The engineer's compartment is a lot smaller than I expected, and it seems even smaller with all the levers and valves and gauges that are cluttering up every spare surface. Kyon's certainly got his hands full, trying to keep things running smoothly - he's constantly adjusting valves, glancing between gauges as he keeps the train running smoothly.

"Can you slow us down any further, Kyon-kun?" Koizumi calls back over his shoulder. "This is still far too rapid for my taste!"

"No, I can't!" Kyon calls back. "I've got my hands full just trying to keep this thing from going any faster than it already is! If you think it's that easy, why don't _you_ try it?"

Koizumi spares the engineer an irate look, then sighs, the anger leaching out of his expression. "I... can't," he replies, and from the look on his face it's not an admission he wants to make. "I thought I knew how to keep things under control better than you are, but I've come to realize that I don't know the first thing about how this really works."

Kyon snorts. "I'm not perfect at this either, and I'm doing the best I can, okay? I know... things are still going a little more crazy than I'd like sometimes, but I'm trying, all right? Just... try to trust us for once, okay?"

"You have no idea how hard that is," Koizumi mutters, gripping his injured arm and wincing. "'Trusting' cost me quite a bit - I might even be intact now if I hadn't trusted my compatriots up to the point they turned on me." He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I... it's difficult, but very well - I'll do my best. Just remember that there's a lot more riding on this than just yourself, all right?"

"I know, I know - you've drilled it into my head enough," Kyon grumbles. "I'm not going to-"

Whatever Kyon was going to say as a sharp report sounds, Kyon's voice dying out in a grunt as red splashes across the train's controls. Wait- did he just get shot?! I can feel my heart hammering in my chest as Koizumi's head jerks up, looking over towards-

"Kyon!" he shouts in alarm, just as the engineer falls forward against one of the levers in the cabin. Koizumi rushes to his side, pulling him away from the lever and checking him over. With a rising sense of dread, though, I can already tell it's too late - Koizumi's hand comes away from Kyon's chest red. "Oh god, what am I going to do?" he stammers, his voice sounding on the verge of panic as he glances around at the train's controls.

Almost as if in answer to Koizumi's attention, the train starts to accelerate, the previously controlled thunder of the steam engine rising to a deafening roar and then a shriek as steam begins to whistle out of leaks in the piping. Koizumi leaps to his feet and starts frantically twisting valves - but all to no avail, a jet of scalding steam finally hiding him from my view as the steam whistle sounds...

And then an ear-shattering boom rocks the dream, followed by a massive burst of steam and smoke before I burst through the edge of the cloud. Looking back, it doesn't take a genius to realize that the train's boiler has exploded - and what's worse, it was crossing a giant trestle in the mountains when it did. The explosion seems to have damaged the tracks enough for the engine to have fallen through, the now visibly battered passenger cars trailing behind it as the entire train plunges towards the ground far below.

Just as the engine strikes the rock, everything goes completely black, the only sensation remaining the pounding of my own heartbeat in my ears. What a nightmare! I have to wonder what Koizumi must be going through to dream up something like _that_, though... and if it was that bad for me when I knew it was a dream, how much worse was it for him?

After that ordeal, I don't feel much like looking for anyone else; for once, I don't fight it when I feel myself slipping away from the dream.

* * *

><p>After a relaxing dream of just lazing around while Nagato enjoyed her book, I wake up feeling completely energized. It's a pointless bit of energy, since we're still stuck due to the flooding, but it's better than waking up and feeling drained.<p>

More importantly, I think this might be one of the first mornings where I woke up at the expected time instead of someone waking me up. Doing it on my own has a certain appeal. No cousins prodding me, or aunts teasing me for sleeping in.

When I open the door and step into the hall, Aunt Rika is escorting Yurie and Matsuri from their room to the bath - first in line, seemingly. "You're up early!" she says brightly, once the girls are in the changing room. "Hmmm, were you woken up by some uncle's snoring, zuuu, zuuu?"

Now that she mentions it, I _can_ hear one of my uncles - or my father - snoring away. "No, just up early," I answer, shrugging. With the bath occupied, there's not much to do ... but I'm still feeling energized. Well, nothing for it; I'm sure my mother would approve, anyway. "Any chores you need help with?" I offer.

Aunt Rika blinks very slowly. "Hmm, check with Mion-chan," she declares.

And thanks to that offer, I find myself elbow-deep in dishes in the kitchen, even though I'm still wearing my pajamas. Aunt Mion is delighted to have the help, though. "Ah, if you've got so much energy," aunt Rena poses, "I could use more firewood being cut!"

"Well, I hope this qualifies for today's session of carrying water," I grumble. Getting out of the house sounds nice, even if chopping wood isn't really that much fun - it's a way to keep myself busy. I suppose that I must just be anxious because I know it's only a matter of time before Haruhi figures everything out ... and Asahina-san, too.

Koizumi and Nagato are my friends, too, but they don't have the same mysteries to solve. I'll be glad for Asahina-san to understand the nature of her own superior, and for Haruhi to really understand how special she is.

"Hehe, Kyon-kun is blushing," Aunt Rika announces, surprising me that she managed to sneak up on me, a wide-eyed Matsuri and Yurie in tow. "Is this a nice thought about a girlfriend suddenly?"

"Er, dishes are done," I say, somewhat lamely, trying to pretend I didn't hear the question.

"Until after everyone finishes eating," my aunt agrees. "Go ahead and take a bath, as long as you don't mind sharing with Shutaro and Naota."

That's fine ... I can keep the two of them from playing around too much. "Alright," I agree, quickly trotting down the hall to join my cousins.

As light as my step is, I'm not _quite_ able to escape my aunts' giggling.

* * *

><p>After the routine that the extended family has settled into - a bit astounding, considering the fact that we're trapped because of the flooding - I'm reminded that it's Saturday. The cousins spend a few forlorn minutes staring at the television, but even if we're getting sporadic phone usage, the power doesn't come back on.<p>

For myself, Aunt Rena is more than happy to help me burn off the excess energy, so Yurie joins us on a walk down the hill to their house. "We're going to pick up a few more blankets and some clothing," my aunt explains. "Yurie-chan is going to be on her best behavior and help carry things - and while we're there, Kyon-kun is going to help chop some more wood!"

I find myself waiting for Aunt Rika's 'choki, choki' sound-effect, but Aunt Rena isn't like that; she's just easily distracted by 'cute' things.

Fortunately for Aunt Rena, even if she's temporarily moved into Aunt Mion's house to wait out the storm, her own home is situated high enough that it's safe. There is the question of why she needs wood cut if she's not even staying in that house, but it's something to do. It's something I've done before, as well, so when we get to the house, I go to the chopping block and find the axe quickly enough.

While I'm normally a very relaxed person, and enjoy spending as little energy as possible, for once I find the exertion soothing. I quickly settle into a rhythm, setting up a log, splitting it, and tossing the split wood in a pile. There's a tarp to cover it all with when I'm done - to help protect the wood from rain. It does need to dry before it can be burned, so maybe that's Aunt Rena's actual plan?

It's hard to say.

When I finally stop to stretch - not feeling particularly tired - Yurie peeks out from around the corner.

"Time off for good behavior?" I ask.

She giggles and shakes her head. "Helping carry things as punishment," she answers, stepping out from around the house and moving closer. Her smile fades as she adopts a thoughtful expression, touching a fingertip to her lower lip. "Do you think the weather will clear up soon, I wonder, I wonder?"

Well, it's been overcast again today, but... "I think it has to," I tell her, shrugging. "How long can it really rain? I've got a good feeling these clouds will blow off soon enough, and soon things will dry out."

At any rate, I'm confident that they'll figure out how to restore power and open the roads up very soon.

Yurie's eyes go from me to the clouds overhead- I ignore them and shrug. It has to clear up soon, though; I really can't see this bad weather keeping up. "Step back a bit," I warn her, I'm going to get back to work, and I don't want you to get hit with any splinters."

"That's not enough?" she asks in surprise.

I pause before grabbing another log from the pile to split. The entire hopper for cut wood seems to be almost full. I should have stopped and straightened the logs out, but it seems my throws were somehow good enough to stack it fairly well. It seems stable, if not quite as neat as it could be.

"I guess that might be," I admit. Without my phone to check the time, I've got no real idea how long I've spent - but surely aunt Rena is done by now? "Alright - I'll clean up here, then."

It doesn't take long to stow the axe and put the tarp in place. Yurie follows me, still looking lost in thought. When I knock on the door, Aunt Rena answers, holding a number of bags stuffed with clothing and blankets.

"Alright!" she exclaims. "Sorry about the wait - I was hoping I had some more candles, but it seems we're running low. Yurie-chan, take this," she instructs, handling one of the bags to the girl. "And, Kyon-kun..."

I take most of the remaining bags, and Aunt Rena beams me a bright smile. "I'll see if I can't make you some ohagi in thanks, Kyon-kun~!" she chirps.

"Hmm, the cousins would love that," I remark.

"Oh, you're right, I bet they would!" she agrees, as Yurie's eyes light up hopefully at the mention of the treat.

Snorting, and realizing how excitable my cousins are going to be over things, I volunteer, "I'll try and keep them busy long enough for you to finish making them."

"Ah, poor cousin Kyon-kun! Lost to a pack of hyperactive cousins!" she teases. "Okay - I'll be sure to save one for you when it's done!"

* * *

><p>For all my energy, after helping out at Aunt Rena's, there's not much to do. True to her word, Aunt Rena figures out how to scrape together enough supplies from the dwindling cache to make ohagi. Since the kids are being let outside, I help Aunt Satoko watch over them.<p>

Matsuri and Yurie are still in 'lockdown,' of course, able to do nothing more than peek out a bedroom window at the others. I scold Naota for trying to tease Matsuri, but other than that ... it's calm and uneventful.

"I'm glad it cleared up!" Aunt Satoko remarks, looking to the skies and stretching. "If we kept the kids cooped up any longer, they might just explode!"

"It couldn't stay cloudy forever," I say, shrugging. Just like I had mentioned with Yurie, really.

"That's true!"

"Kyon-kun!" the unruly Naota calls. "Let's play zombie tag!"

Well, as long as the Houjou twins have been too busy to build pit traps, why not? Aunt Satoko laughs at me as I get tagged in and chase the cousins around until Aunt Rena comes to the door- The promise of a treat wipes away all thoughts of the game; the cousins all try and swarm the poor woman.

She braces herself, and I feel mildly heroic for managing to get between the rampaging tide and her. "No pushing," I warn them, in time with Satoko's stern nod.

"Treats are for well behaved children," Aunt Rena agrees, when Naota pretends to be putting all of his strength into being held back by one of my outstretched arms. "One at a time, now - smallest to biggest!"

"I'm smallest," Shutaro declares with pride.

"I'm shorter!" my sister exclaims.

"Wait, no, I am!" Naota counters, dropping to his knees and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Shutaro first," I say, letting him past.

Soon enough, all of the cousins have proceeded in an orderly line, until it's just myself and the aunts waiting outside. "You're still awfully energetic today," Aunt Satoko muses.

I really am, aren't I? Maybe it's a side-effect of that dream space. Or maybe I've just acclimated to the thinner mountain air!

"I've got to enjoy my time here," I say with a shrug. "Soon enough the road will be clear - just like the sky, and then we'll be headed home."

"I can see your mother deciding against the summer visit, considering how long this one ran," Aunt Rena agrees. "Aw, I'll miss having Kyon-kun around!"

"We can't keep him from his girlfriend forever, though," Aunt Satoko laments, shaking her head mournfully.

Hey! I thought the nickname was enough teasing!

I sigh and shake my head, which just prompts both aunts to giggle. "Ah," Aunt Rena remarks, sobering slightly. "If Kyon-kun would be willing to take some ohagi to our little girls in lockdown, then there's one waiting for you in the kitchen!"

I nod; that sounds fine. Inside, the cousins are all seated at the living room kotatsu, chewing on their treats happily.

After fetching the plate with their ohagi on it, I head down to the room they're sharing and knock sharply. The door creaks open, Yurie and Matsuri both lighting up at the sight of the plate. "Ohagi!" they exclaim in tandem.

"That's right," I agree, stepping through the door as Yurie opens it the rest of the way. "I'm glad you two are still behaving! What have you two been up to, then?"

"Drawing," Matsuri answers, indicating a pile of crayon marked pages, pictures of the rainy hillsides. I dare say Yurie's got some real potential in her pictures. Matsuri, on the other hand, well ... she's very energetic!

"Those are nice," I comment, nodding.

"And listening to the radio," Yurie adds, taking one of the treats and nibbling at the top. "Did you hear anything, I wonder, I wonder?"

"It's not good, though," Matsuri says with a shrug. "They said it was going to rain this afternoon, but it's completely clear!"

"Well, being clear is a good thing, isn't it?" I ask.

"I guess," Matsuri answers, while Yurie nods vigorously. I nod back and give them one last smile before taking the plate and leaving them alone. I wonder why the weather report would have been so far off?

They probably only meant there was a chance of rain, or predicted sprinkling. That strikes me as the most likely thing.

...or did somehow Haruhi get tired of this bad weather? That's a strange thought. I'm not really sure how to feel about that. I guess I can't do anything! It benefits me, and I feel a little strange about that ... but I think it's okay. After all, this is leading up to explaining what Haruhi's powers are to her - and I'm confident that she'll be responsible with them.

Those thoughts stay in my head until it's time to sleep. And then ... even though I didn't call her, and I missed her the previous night - I think I can leave her alone and things will be fine, so try and settle into a night of normal, non-lucid dreams.

* * *

><p>By the time morning arrives, I'm awake and on my feet - for once I even beat the horde of cousins to the bath! I feel a bit restless on account of getting a full night of sleep. Without anything better to do, I join my aunts and uncles at the kotatsu in the front room for tea.<p>

I really have missed out by sleeping in; an ancient battery-powered radio sits on the table. Not the bulky communication gear that we don't need as badly, thanks to the phone line being mostly restored, but a standard radio receiver.

According to the cheerful announcer, an anticipated storm-front due to hit the region unexpectedly scattered apart, promising several days of good weather.

Well, that confirms that suspicion, then!

"They seemed so sure of that storm, too," Aunt Rena remarks, herding Yurie and Matsuri toward the bath.

"Well, predicting the weather is difficult, I expect," I answer, shrugging.

"You're looking cheerful," Aunt Mion remarks. Adopting a crafty smile, she wonders, "Was it a dream about your girlfriend?"

...I have no idea why that line of questioning is so fascinating to my aunts and uncles.

"I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they clear the road, too," I comment, trying to change the subject.

"I hope so," Aunt Mion says a bit more seriously. "We're starting to run low on supplies. At this rate we'll have to take some of the rations that the JSDF are dropping off."

"We should be optimistic," Aunt Rika contributes, nodding judiciously. "Keep our spirits up! Especially those who are without homes, still waiting in the school for the roads to clear."

"And the JSDF workers helping keep everyone calm and healthy," Aunt Satoko agrees. "Hmm... Ah, I have an idea. Mion-chan, do we have enough supplies to make a lot more ohagi?"

"Well, maybe, but that'll really wipe us out," she answers, frowning. "We'll be down to rice and dried vegetables after that."

"Aha," Aunt Rika giggles, nodding knowingly. "But we can keep the little ones busy! Kyon-kun's probably right, of course, so we not splurge a bit?"

"It's not like you to be irresponsible," Aunt Mion says doubtfully. "But, well- Your insight is always good. Alright! We'll go crazy and have the kids help Rena-chan make a ton of ohagi! Our energetic Kyon-kun can carry it down to the school as a pleasant surprise for those who are staying there, and the JSDF workers, too! Why not share a little bit of light in dark times?"

"So I'm going to be carrying a load of supplies down to the school?" I wonder aloud. I wouldn't complain for the chance to stretch my legs a bit, though.

"We'll go with you," Aunt Rika chuckles, shaking her head. "There could be too much for just you to carry, anyway."

I can't help but think my optimistic aunts are underestimating my cousins' abilities when it comes to eating treats, but nod wordlessly. From there, I get to avoid the worst of my cousins' antics as they spend the first half of the day raising hell in the kitchen. Hmm, come to think of it, carrying what they make down to the school means I won't have to help clean up the mess I'm sure they're making, doesn't it?

There's a balance in all things, I suppose!

I get to relax until the project is complete, dozens and dozens of ohagi later. Aunt Rena gets it all neatly packaged in plastic wrap, then loads them into bags. I end up carrying most of them, but true to their words, Aunt Mion and Aunt Rika carry one each, as well.

"Poor Kyon-kun," Aunt Rika says, standing up on tiptoe to pat the top of my head while my hands are full. "Come all this way just to act as a beast of burden!"

My little sister giggles at that, getting a dangerous glint in her eyes. Hey! That's no good- "Well, uh, we should get a move on," I say quickly, before she can lead the other cousins in some new mischief.

"Right," Aunt Mion agrees, leading the way to the door.

Thankfully, before any further pranks or shenanigans can be engaged, we're outside, enjoying the clear skies, clean air, and bright sun. This isn't bad at all!

"It's nice out," Aunt Rika says brightly. "Almost want to curl up like a cat and sleep away, goro-goro!"

"Any cat would have hated the amount of water that's fallen lately," Aunt Mion notes with amusement.

"I'm just glad the road's dried out, and isn't a muddy river," I add, kicking at the ground below us.

Both of my aunts nod at that; the hill could get pretty scary in heavy rain! Shortly enough, we reach the bottom, and then cross over to the school. The uncles are already on site as usual, keeping themselves busy by hammering away at the roof, presumably patching spots where the buildings had started to leak.

"Hello!" Aunt Mion cheers, waving hugely. "Hey, hey- Let's round everyone up! Rena-chan and the kids made a treat for everyone, to help keep our spirits up!"

"We brought ohagi!" Aunt Rika adds, waving along with my other aunt.

That's enough to pull out the rather startling number of refugees and their families from the building. Aunt Rena and Aunt Rika set their bags down and parcel out ohagi, taking the rest of the bags from me once they finally run out. I hadn't gotten a chance to meet the JSDF agents that were in town yet - it made sense that they were here, though.

I wonder what Haruhi would say to such a person? I think about it, but when the four of them come at the very end of the line, ahead of only the uncles (at the uncles' insistence, naturally), all I can think to actually say is, "Thank you for your service."

The man in JSDF uniform that I pass this to is a bit surprised, but smiles as he takes the ohagi. "The most important thing in these trying times is maintaining a sense of community; your village is very fortunate to have people such as your mother and aunt, here, to look out for everyone who lives here!"

I feel my face redden at that, and Aunt Mion nearly explodes with laughter. "Sensei," she chuckles, "this is our nephew, from out of town."

"Ah, how embarrassing," the man chuckles- Though looking closer, I can see his uniform is marked with a symbol that points him out as a medic. I guess that makes sense, though!

"But we are family!" Rika counters, handing the last ohagi to the doctor's companions. Probably also medics, really; who else would they need to send in?

"Er, yeah, my aunts are pretty amazing at taking care of the village," I agree, laughing a bit myself. "Everyone here _is_ pretty fortunate."

"Alright," Aunt Mion says, still chuckling, but a bit more business-like. "Let's get these bags returned to the house."

After stuffing all the other bags into one of the larger bags, I heft them, and with my aunts and uncles waving, I'm off to the house again. I'm not sure what I'll do once I get there - probably help keep the cousins busy while Aunt Rena tries to clean the kitchen. In any case, I've got the restless energy for it, so quickly march out of the school.

The long road between the refugees and Aunt Mion's home is mostly empty. Not only that, I don't know of many houses from the direction of the woods - that terrain can be pretty unforgiving, after all! Seeing a quartet of refugees, I pause, checking the time with the sun, since my phone's not on me. I'd guess it's a bit after one in the afternoon?

One of these days I should look into getting a wind-up watch!

By the time I look down from the sky, I'm shocked to realize who's there. My knees tremble a bit as I can only spit out a halting: "Y...you!"

Of all of the people I would anticipate running into _here_!


	12. The Song of Orpheus

In Your Dreams - Chapter Twelve

The Song of Orpheus

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>"Y...you!"<p>

My head snaps up from the half-trance I've been in for most of the long hike from Okinomiya. I feel about as shocked as Kyon looks, although I do try to keep my mouth from hanging open the way his is doing right now.

None of the others seem to be any more on-the ball than either Kyon or I am, with the possible exception of Yuki - although I can't really picture her stepping up to take control of the conversation anyway. I manage to get my composure, though, and of course the first thing that comes out of my mouth is the first thing to pop into my head.

"Kyon! If you keep your mouth open like that you're going to start catching flies!"

I feel like co-opting the facepalm technique that Kyon's practically patented as I realize what I've just said, but it does at least have the intended effect; he closes his mouth and just stares at the four of us goggle-eyed for a minute instead.

"What are you even _doing_ here?" he splutters.

I can't help but feel a little irritated by the reply. "We traveled over twelve hundred kilometers to get here, and that's the most you can say?" I bark back at him. "Not to mention that the last ten were on foot!"

That finally seems to snap Kyon out of his daze, and he takes a minute to look over the Brigade: mostly tired - in Mikuru's case, probably on the verge of collapse - muddy from at least the knees down, and all of us bearing fairly heavy backpacks. Yuki and I are probably in the best shape, but I know I'm certainly feeling the strain of the trip even despite that.

Eight hours by train from Nishinomiya to Aomori, then another two hours on a local line from Aomori to Okinomiya - the closest city we could reach via public transportation - which is where we spent the night last night. Follow that ten hours of travel up with getting up early this morning, shopping for some simple supplies that I don't think the JSDF would bother with, and then hiking ten kilometers over slippery, muddy hills. At least it hadn't been directly raining; several of the locals in Okinomiya had commented that the break in the rain was simultaneously welcome, overdue, and unexpected.

"Sorry," he says, grimacing a bit. "Yeah, it's good to see you, but Asahina-san looks like she's about ready to pass out. Did you end up coming all the way out here just to find me?"

"That was part of it," I admit grudgingly. "But we're also here to help, and we brought supplies with us!"

Kyon eyes our backpacks, then sighs a bit. "All right, I suppose we'd better go drop those off, then get you back to my aunt's place to clean up and rest."

With that, he turns around, starting to head back down the hill and beckoning for us to follow. I fall into step with him, the others trailing along behind us. A quick check reveals that Kyon was pretty much right about Mikuru, though; it doesn't look like she's going to make it a lot further. She's been pretty determined about the whole thing - I haven't heard her complain once on the entire hike out here, although she has yelped a few times when she's slipped and fallen.

"So how far do we need to go?" I ask, casting a second glance back at Mikuru, who seems thankful that the trip is at least downhill.

"I was on my way back home from the school when we ran into each other," Kyon explains. "That's where we'll want to drop off your supplies, then we can head back up to Aunt Mion's place to let you take a bath and relax for a bit."

"That sounds good - we didn't get a chance to clean up before we left Okinomiya this morning," I admit. "I figured with as rough as the trip to get here would be, we'd just need to wash again after we arrived - and I wasn't wrong, either!"

"I'm honestly surprised you made it," Kyon says, scratching the back of his head as the road levels out and a few small homes appear off to the sides of the road. It's vaguely familiar, then I realize this is Hinamizawa itself - the same as Kyon showed me in the dream, although I think when I saw most of it we were probably looking at it from the mountainside that's behind us. "Even the JSDF and the locals haven't tried going cross-country; I'd be worried about causing a mudslide out in the middle of nowhere with no one around to help."

I grimace at that; I hadn't even considered that happening to us. "I guess it's all a credit to Yuki's pathfinding skills, then!" I announce, giving the quiet Brigade member an appreciative grin.

"That... would probably do it, yes," Kyon agrees hesitantly, looking back at Yuki himself. "Thanks for looking out for everyone, Nagato."

"No problem," Yuki replies in kind, the girl - no, the _alien_ - giving Kyon a hard-to-read look. I intend to get to the bottom of _that_ soon, too - but Kyon is right, first we all need to relax a bit.

Kyon's been leading us along the village streets while we chatter, our steps crunching through gravel aside from one two-lane asphalt road. Shortly we come upon the school building - smaller than any school I've attended in Nishinomiya, but then this is a tiny village by comparison, too.

Our guide pushes his way inside without hesitation, although none of us stop to change our shoes - even Kyon. His first stop is the first floor faculty office, although apparently he doesn't find what he's looking for there.

"Kyon-kun? Back so soon?" an unfamiliar voice calls, followed shortly by its owner as she comes out of a stairwell. It's a middle-aged, blue-haired woman; as she approaches, I can see that she's pretty short, too - not much taller than Mikuru or Yuki. She pauses as she spots the Brigade, although she doesn't look worried, exactly. Her eyes flit between each of us before she finally settles on me, and...

Okay, that's kind of unnerving. The look she just gave me says she can see right through me and all the way out the other side, and didn't miss a thing in the process. Whatever she saw, though, she seems to be keeping to herself as she turns back to Kyon.

"Hmm, who have you brought with you?" she asks lightly, a small smile playing on her face.

"Er," Kyon starts sheepishly, looking to me first, "Haruhi, this is my aunt, Fuurude Rika. Aunt Rika, these are the members of my club back in Nishinomiya." He then proceeds to introduce us all by name, and I take the opportunity to look around at the others to see if they've picked up the same thing I did. Mikuru clearly didn't; she's slumped against the wall with her eyes closed, probably trying to rest after the long hike to get here. If Yuki spotted anything, I can't tell from looking at her, and Koizumi looks kind of rattled himself - although he's doing his best to paper it over with his usual smile.

As Kyon finishes up the introductions, Rika turns back to me, although her gaze is thankfully a lot less searching this time - maybe even a little amused. "Well, I suppose that answers the _who_, but not really the _why_ - shouldn't they all still be in Nishinomiya?"

Kyon turns to me at that himself, clearly expecting me to explain... well, I guess I _haven't_ actually told him why we're here, even if it should be obvious. "W-well, I have to look out for my club members!" I bluster. "When we found out that Kyon was trapped up here, we organized a fundraiser to help out with the relief efforts - and so we're here to deliver the proceeds and help out in any way we can!"

I take the excuse to look away from Rika, fishing through my backpack to withdraw the supplies we brought with us. "And... we've started with a load of supplies already!" I hold up a package of flashlight batteries triumphantly. "I know the JSDF has been bringing in the essentials, but with as long as the power's been out up here I figured there are a lot of dead flashlights and other things, so we brought as many batteries as we could carry with us!"

"Well, that'll certainly be a help," Rika admits, taking the batteries from me. "Still, though, if you raised funds it would have been easier just to donate them directly to one of the aid organizations like the Red Cross, wouldn't it?"

I don't bother to hide a snort of derision at that. "We could have, but you can't tell the Red Cross where to use your donations - not that they'd waste the money or anything, but I wanted to make sure it got used _here_!

"So, I figured we could start by bringing in a load of things the JSDF probably wouldn't make a very high priority, then we could talk with the village leaders and figure out what else was needed - then we could carry supplies back and forth between here and Okinomiya!"

Rika smiles wryly at that. "Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, Suzumiya-chan, but coming here was very foolhardy - it's not safe to travel on the roads or cross-country until things dry out more. I'm glad you made it here safely, but I can't in good conscience let you go back to Okinomiya on your own until the main road out of the village has been cleared. If you really want to help, though, I'm quite sure we can find work for you and your friends here in the village - and if you've brought money, that will certainly be a help once we can start bringing supplies into the village directly!

"For now, I think Kyon-kun should take you back to Mion-chan's house. It's a long trip from Okinomiya on foot, and I'm sure you'll feel better after a bath, zabu-zabu!" She claps her hands and smiles at that, giving Kyon a knowing look.

"Alright, Aunt Rika," Kyon says, nodding. "We'll get the batteries dropped off in the office, then head back up the mountain."

"Such a dutiful nephew!" Rika grins, turning away to return to her own business. "I'll probably be back up shortly myself, once I finish with the ohagi here."

"Ohagi?" I look at Kyon, confused. "Isn't it the wrong time of year for that?"

"Eh... my aunts had the ingredients, and they figured it'd be a good way to raise everyone's spirits, so they made up a giant batch and we brought them down here to hand out. I was actually on my way back from that when we ran into each other."

"Mmm," I grunt, slipping out of the straps of my backpack. "So... who _is_ your aunt? She sounded like she was in charge here!"

"She sort of is," Kyon admits. "She's the shrine maiden of the Fuurude Shrine here, and the position goes a long way back. The village is run by a council of three families, and hers is one of them." He takes the backpacks from myself and Koizumi - without a hitch, actually, which surprises me a little; those batteries weigh a _ton_ for as small as they are.

He ducks back into the office that he'd checked out a minute ago, Yuki behind him with her own backpack. While they're away, I check on Mikuru, who hasn't moved since she sat down. Much to my irritation, she's out cold; at first I figured she'd just fallen asleep, but after my attempts to wake her up prove unsuccessful, I let loose a short, sharp sigh.

"What's wrong?" Kyon says, crouching down next to me to look at Mikuru. I didn't even hear him come out of the room! "Does she have more batteries that need to be dropped off?"

"No, she was carrying some water and rice balls, in case the hike took longer than we expected," I reply, shaking my head. "But she's passed out - how the hell are we supposed to get her to your aunt's house? We can't just leave her here, after all!"

"I... guess I can carry her?" Kyon offers.

"Very gallant, Kyon," I retort, giving him a skeptical look. "If I didn't suspect it was just an excuse to snuggle up to Mikuru-chan, I might even give you credit for it. How about _I_ carry her instead, and you take her backpack?"

"I wasn't..." Kyon sighs at that, shaking his head. "Look, you and the rest of the Brigade already hiked what, ten or fifteen kilometers to get here?"

At my nod, he continues. "Well, it's another two back to my aunt's place, mostly uphill. If you really want to carry Asahina-san all that way I'm not going to argue, but I was suggesting that I do it since the only thing I've done today is help my aunts make ohagi and then carry them down here."

I'm still doubtful of his real motives, but his logic is sound, at least. "All right, fine - but I'll be watching you! Now, let's get going - the sooner we can get to that bath, the happier I'll be!"

* * *

><p>Even though I'm pretty sure it's not a dream, I give a quick reality check, just to confirm. I almost can't believe Haruhi <em>did<em> that!

Then again, this is Haruhi we're talking about. If I can't make it to the club, I guess she reasoned the club should come to me, huh?

Since I'm crouched at Asahina-san's side with Haruhi, I give her a gentle nudge, but that doesn't rouse her either. Grumbling about it, Haruhi pulls her backpack off, which finally makes her blink blearily. "Whoza..." she starts sleepily.

Turning, I prompt, "Climb onto my back, Asahina-san."

"I'll be keeping a very close eye on Mikuru-chan to make sure nothing bad happens," Haruhi adds helpfully.

Gee, thanks!

"After all," she continues, "she's one of _us_, and we have a responsibility to take care of one another!"

"Ah," Koizumi belatedly remarks, shaking his head to clear it. "I could always..." But by then it's too late, because Asahina-san leans forward and collapses across my back with an incoherent mumble. Her arms go around my neck as her weight falls onto me, and I grab her legs carefully.

"You're just as tired as the rest of us," Haruhi says, shaking her head at the other boy. "And Kyon's right - he _is_ the official 'odd-jobs' man."

Just like old times! I knew Asahina-san was small, but I'm surprised at how lightweight her soft form really is! "Alright," I say, rising, leaning forward a bit to keep the older girl in place. "Let's get to Aunt Mion's so you can all get cleaned up." Of course, as soon as I say that, I realize that thanks to Asahina-san's earlier tumbles, she's gotten quite a bit of mud on me, as well.

That's a small price to pay, though.

Shortly, we're back on the road headed back - again. I realize that the bag I'd forgotten was picked up by Nagato. That saves me a trip! "Thanks for the help, Nagato," I remark.

"We have to work together," Haruhi says resolutely, knuckling back a yawn and giving the hill leading up to my aunt's place a stern glare. "...just like going to school," she mumbles, so quietly I almost miss it.

"This one's probably a bit worse because of the altitude," I offer.

Haruhi starts, then rolls her eyes. "And I guess being trapped up here, you've had time to acclimate," she muses.

"My aunts insist the mountain air is great for me," I agree. It's mostly a quiet trip; while I think I could chatter the entire way up, everyone else is too tired.

Nagato might be an exception, but she's not typically very talkative anyway. Since it's quiet, I think back to what Haruhi said about Asahina-san. Does that mean she's figured out what I hoped she did about Asahina-san, and took it well? I do think Haruhi's at her strongest when she's looking out for others, so I can't help but smile at that.

Not that being surprised by my friends doesn't bring a smile to my face anyway!

"I think we should probably let Mikuru-chan wash first," Haruhi declares between breaths, as we approach the top of the hill. "Is there enough room for her to rest during the day?"

"Aunt Mion's house is pretty big," I say with a shrug. "You'll probably have to share a room with Asahina-san and Nagato, but the furo should be big enough for all of you."

"Yeah, well..." She trails off and raises her eyebrows at the sight of the house once it comes into view. "Oh," she says quietly.

It's not as massive as the mansion we stayed in during the summer trip last year, or Tsuruya's winter villa, but it's big enough to fit all of my cousins and their parents. I'm pretty sure at least one room is free, which ... probably means I have to share a room with Koizumi, actually.

Oh, well. There are certainly much worse fates!

When we get to the door, it opens before I can reach it, my aunt Rena looking out at the crowd of us and wiping her hands on her apron. "My!" she remarks. "Rika-chan called, but it looks like your journey here was rougher than anticipated!"

"Hmmm?" Asahina-san mumbles, rousing again, then gasping. "Wha- Where-"

Before she can panic, I crouch, giving her a chance to climb off my back instead of knocking us both over.

"Back with us, Mikuru-chan?" Haruhi teases with a smile, helping the sleepy time traveler steady herself.

"Alright, young ladies," Aunt Rena declares, clicking her tongue. "The furo is prepared, so this way- Kyon-kun, you and your other friend will either need to use the shower, or take your turn once they've had a chance to wash up."

Sharing a bath with Koizumi? A room is one thing, but _that_... "Up to you, Koizumi," I say with a shrug, climbing to my feet as Mikuru totters into the house, leaning on Haruhi for support to take her shoes off.

"I'm fine with waiting a bit," Koizumi replies. "Thankfully it's not cold! We can actually wait outside, since we are a bit muddy."

"Alright," Aunt Rena agrees, bundling Nagato, Yuki, and Haruhi off to the bathroom. On her way away, she calls back, "Would you care for some coffee while you wait?"

"I- I would love some coffee," Koizumi answers, forcing a smile that seems even more false than normal.

I wonder what that's all about? Probably he wants to talk to me about Haruhi and what she's been up to. Rather than hold the door open, and knowing that the strange cousin-free reprieve can't last forever, I call back, "We'll be on the side porch for a bit - thank you for the coffee, Aunt Rena!"

"Okay!" she replies, before the house muffles whatever else she says.

I shrug and close the door, leading a slightly more alert Koizumi around to the side porch. Judging by the balls and other toys scattered across the house, the cousins were playing earlier. Did they wear themselves out? I wouldn't be surprised if after the ohagi and playing hard enough, they all went down for a nap.

After Koizumi and I sit down on the porch - which offers a good view of most of the village - I stretch a bit. Normally I'd expect to be exhausted, but after all the other manual labor I've been stuck with, that felt instead like a decent workout! "So," I ask, settling down. "Did I miss anything exciting?"

The esper heaves an exhausted sigh. "I don't know," he admits in a low voice, giving me a weak smile. Not his usual plastic one - this one's strained so much it shows the real weariness underneath. I'm not sure I've ever seen him so stressed! "I'm ... more out of my depth than usual, and I don't know what's going on.

"Suzumiya-san decided to investigate my cover part-time job, which has caused my superiors no end of anxiety. Other than that, she hasn't behaved as we've anticipated, which is making everyone in the Organization even _more_ nervous."

"When does Haruhi ever behave as expected?" I return.

Koizumi blinks at that, sagging faintly. Wow - for him to let this much show, he must be _really_ worn down! "I mean," he states carefully, "while she was initially very upset about you being trapped here, she adapted to it much more quickly than I would have expected. We thought closed space would form, but so far, none has!"

"Isn't that _good_?" I ask, frowning.

"It- Well, in theory, yes," Koizumi answers, turning to gaze at the village. "It's ultimately a seemingly positive effect, but we cannot understand the _why_ of things. If Suzumiya-san begins to behave irrationally, then who knows what could happen?"

It's hard for me to be sympathetic to this, but I'm spared answering by Aunt Satoko sliding the door open with one toe. "Hello!" she says brightly.

I introduce her to Koizumi, who starts to rise to give her a proper bow, but Satoko waves a hand dismissively. "No need to worry about formality," she insists, setting down the tray she was carrying. "You're worn out enough from what I've heard! Just rest; there will be plenty of time for proper introductions once everyone's clean and rested!" She pauses, then touches a thoughtful fingertip to her lips. "Well, in the meantime, I'll let you two chat - I imagine there's a bit of catching up to do, hmm?"

Giving us one last pleasant smile, she waves before retreating into the house and sliding the door shut behind her.

Koizumi doesn't waste time pouring himself a cup of coffee from the service, adding a surprising amount of sugar and a splash of cream. Since it's a lull, I pour myself a cup as well. Why not?

After he takes a sip, which seems to revitalize him a bit, the esper sighs. "My hope is that you might somehow have some insight into Suzumiya-san's behavior," he admits, shaking his head. "In my Organization, things are becoming rather ... tense."

I frown, tasting my own coffee. Less sugar and no cream; just the way I like it. I recall Koizumi mentioning that he once had to write a letter of apology over a certain incident involving Nagato. I suppose that his superiors must cause him stress, too.

Then again, being fair ... how surprising is that? Nagato's boss is something of a jerk. An alien jerk, but still a jerk! Asahina-san's superiors certainly haven't treated her as well as I'd have liked. Why should Koizumi's bosses be any different? And worse, Haruhi discovering his nature should lead to a world of trouble for him.

Of course ... just because it _should_ doesn't mean it _has_ to. Haruhi certainly seems to be getting along with Nagato and Asahina-san well enough, doesn't she? "Koizumi," I finally say. "This might be hard to do, so keep in mind this isn't something I'm saying casually. I think that everything will be fine if you're just honest - really honest - and trust Haruhi."

He raises an eyebrow at that, his smile turning sardonic as he drains his cup and pours another.

He's silent for a long minute, digesting what I said. "I promised," he said slowly, "my loyalty to you and Suzumiya-san, should it come to that. Is it ... time for such a thing?"

"Look ... no one can probably really understand Haruhi perfectly," I tell him. "And, anyway, people change, or sometimes just don't react the way you'd expect. I personally think Haruhi's been entirely reasonable about things. But being honest, if you're only ever showing her a mask and hiding things..." I shrug.

"I ... don't know if I can just tell her everything," he says softly in answer, staring deep into his cup, as though it were pooled wisdom, somehow able to help him out. "Is that what you're saying?"

Running a hand through my hair, I shake my head. "Haruhi wants to solve the mysteries of this world, right?" I prompt.

He gives a nod at that.

"So ... don't just tell her. But if she asks, answer her questions honestly. If you can tell her truthfully that she's the real leader, not some shadowy boss somewhere who's getting cranky that she's handling a bad situation reasonably well... I think everything will work out."

He nods slowly again, draining his cup. "Alright," he declares, setting the vessel down. "I will do my best."

And at that, Aunt Rena slides the door open. "Okay!" she cheers, smiling brightly. "If you two are ready, the furo is free!"

"Ah, yes," Koizumi manages, smiling pleasantly. "Um..."

"You go ahead," I tell him, shaking my head. "You can use it after that hike. I'll just take a shower."

"Very well then," he agrees, climbing to his feet.

"So you'll take care of that coffee tray for me?" Aunt Rena asks, winking. "I just spent a good hour cleaning up after all that work in the kitchen!"

"Er, yeah, that before the shower," I agree with a chuckle.

* * *

><p>After the bath, I'm feeling almost as good as new. To my surprise, I'm actually the first one out of the furo; Mikuru staying to soak longer isn't a surprise, but Yuki staying with her is - although given how exhausted Mikuru looks, it's probably good that someone stays with her until she gets out of the bath.<p>

I've just finished getting dressed and stepped out into the hallway when a rustling noise and a series of thumps grabs my attention. Tracing the noise back to its source leads to a partially opened doorway further down the hall, with a couple of voices audibly shushing each other coming from inside.

"Who's in there?" I ask, which immediately leads to a deeper silence as even the shushing noises cease. Letting my curiosity get the better of me - not that it's really much of a struggle - I push the door open further and stick my head into the room, looking for the source of the noise.

Which is rather obvious, really. There are two girls in the room: one with dusty blue hair that I'd put money on being Rika's daughter, and another brown-haired girl that's suspiciously familiar - and then I remember just _where_ I saw her.

The blue-haired girl shoots me a suspicious look, then snaps out a question: "What do you want?"

The voice is immediately familiar; it's the same one that tried to hang up on me the first time I called Kyon up here - one of his cousins, although I can't remember her name off the top of my head, or if Kyon even told me what it was.

"I wanted to find out what the noises I was hearing were," I retort, giving her a sharp look of my own. "And it looks like I found the answer to that question."

Both girls jump at the sound of my voice, then glance at each other, seeming just as surprised at the other's reaction as they are to me. The brown-haired girl speaks up next, and hers is _definitely_ a voice I recognize!

"Are you Kyon-nii's girlfriend, I wonder, I wonder?" she asks, cocking her head on one side as she gives me a closer examination. The question throws me off my stride badly enough that I almost miss the flash of even greater suspicion from the blue-haired girl. I probably _would_ have missed it, too, if it wasn't for the way she visibly deflates afterward.

"I'm..." I fumble for a moment, trying to come up with a decent answer. Girlfriend? I... maybe if he _asked_, but that's certainly not what we are now! Anyway, this isn't the time or place to try to puzzle that kind of thing out. "I'm his Brigade commander, Suzumiya Haruhi! And I know I've heard both of you on the phone before, when I called to talk to Kyon - you're Kyon's cousins?"

The girl that must be Rika's daughter cringes a bit at the mention of the phone - yeah, she's absolutely the one that called Kyon 'Kyon-nii-sama' and warned me to stay away from him! The other one takes the reins of the conversation, though. "Yeah! I'm Ryuguu Yurie, and this is Fuurude Matsuri - it's nice to meet you!"

"I recognize your voices," I admit, looking between the two younger girls. "Although I'm not sure whether to thank you or give you a penalty, Yurie-chan." At her suddenly puzzled look, I explain. "Kyon told me you relayed my orders the way I asked you to, but... you were eavesdropping on our phone call, weren't you?"

She flushes guiltily at that, and I can't help but smirk as she lets out a quiet "Oops..."

"I'll let you off _this_ time, since you've been keeping an eye on Kyon while he's been up here," I allow. The two girls exchange a look at that - wait, have they _actually_ been watching Kyon while he's been here?

"So... um, Suzumiya-san," she starts out, glancing over at Matsuri for confirmation, "was the assignment you told me to give Kyon-nii about that dreams book?"

"That's right!" I nod, then pause - how would she know about that? Actually, that's not a bad question anyway! "It was, but how did _you_ know about it? Have you been spying on more than just Kyon's phone call?"

"He's _our_ Kyon-nii!" Matsuri finally shoots back, glowering at me. "We can watch him if we want to!"

"And hang up on phone calls he's having with other people?" I retort, giving her a dubious look. Just like I thought, that prompts her to look away in shame - I couldn't imagine someone not getting in trouble for something like that!

Yurie looks pensive for a moment, then turns a curious look to me. "You're Kyon-nii's... friend, right?" She pauses, and I try to conceal any reaction - I can guess what she was thinking about saying there!

Instead, I draw myself up to reply "I'm his Brigade commander!" I shoot back, then stop to think for a moment. Is that _all_ I am to Kyon, all he is to me? I shake my head a bit, then finish the thought. "But yeah, I'm also his friend."

She pushes forward on receiving confirmation. "Um... maybe you might know, then. Have you seen him do anything weird or amazing?"

I blink at that. "Kyon? Doing something amazing?" I give the brown-haired girl a puzzled look at that. "Not particularly - I mean, he's not _completely_ boring, but if I had to pick someone to describe as 'perfectly average' it'd probably be him."

Technically, what he's been able to do in dreams is pretty amazing, but... I don't think it's really any of his cousins' business - they're nosy enough already!

Yurie looks disappointed at the response, turning to her cousin and lowering her voice to a whisper, although I can still make out what she's saying. "Guess it's up to us to find out, then."

I frown a bit at that. "Find out what?"

She blushes in response, seeming surprised that I overheard. "Um..."

Matsuri scowls at me. "I guess Kyon-nii is more willing to show _us_ the awesome stuff he can do instead of _you_," she shoots back. "Kyon-nii is a _hero_, and we're going to find out exactly what he can do!"

I blink in surprise. "Kyon? A hero? How do you get that?"

Yurie grins in reply. "Kyon-nii rescued Matsu-chan from the flood! I helped him find her at the saiguden, then Kyon-nii got her out before the building got washed away!"

I raise my eyebrows at that. Kyon, rescuing one of his cousins from a raging river? That _is_ pretty awesome - and he never even told me about it when we dreamed! I guess if it happened recently there hasn't been time - we didn't meet last night, and before that we were kind of busy talking about Mikuru, but even so that seems like a pretty big thing to just keep quiet about!

"That does sound pretty amazing for Kyon," I allow. "But not really all that weird - people can do all kinds of fantastic things in emergencies!"

"He was super strong! He threw Oyashiro-sama's statue off the top of me like it didn't weigh anything at all, and he pulled me out of the mud without even blinking!" Matsuri shoots back.

"Adrenaline can make people extra-strong," I counter. "There are even stories of people lifting cars with that to help!"

"While he was standing in really deep mud himself?" Matsuri retorts, shooting me a triumphant look. "Even if he _was_ just super strong for a little while, he should have gotten stuck too - and he just ran out with me like he didn't even notice it at all!"

That does sound a little strange, but... "That could still just be adrenaline, or the mud wasn't as bad where he was standing or something."

Yurie sighs at that, shooting Matsuri a slightly annoyed look. "Maybe, but what he did with the door was literally _impossible_."

I raise an eyebrow. "How so?"

Matsuri is the one to explain, looking over to Yurie for confirmation before she explains. "Well... the saiguden is a storage building for our shrine, so it's really old-fashioned - sliding paper doors and stuff. Kyon-nii," here she pauses, mimicking the action of grabbing a doorknob and pulling a door open, "opened it like it was a regular door with hinges and a doorknob."

That gets my attention - mostly because it's the same way he does all of his doors when we're dreaming! "If the building was starting to wash away, maybe he just tore the door off and it looked like he was opening it that way?"

Yurie shakes her head in reply. "No - it had hinges! I was outside watching while Kyon-nii went inside to get Matsu-chan, and the door was standing open on its hinges, and I could even see the doorknob on it!"

I frown at that. That one I can't explain so easily; I could see Kyon on an adrenaline rush pulling even a sliding door out of its track, but you'd have to break the door itself to do that - it'd just collapse if the frame was shattered, and even if it didn't break it definitely couldn't stand open on its own!

The two girls glance at each other, seeing that I'm not just blowing this one off. As I see the look they're sharing, I start to wonder: is this what's special about Kyon, why all of these unusual people have gathered around him?

"That does seem pretty weird," I finally say, rubbing my chin. "Have you seen anything else?"

Yurie sighs and shakes her head. "Nothing that big, but... just yesterday, we went over to my house to get some things, and Kyon-nii was chopping wood for my Mom. I was watching him, and he was tossing the pieces of wood onto the woodpile - and they all landed perfectly without him even looking! And he went super fast, too - he filled up the whole wood pile while we were there, and we only stayed for about an hour!

"And the other thing... well, I know it could just be a coincidence, but he said the rain would stop soon, and it did! By the time we got back here, it was already starting to get sunny, and it hasn't rained at all since then!"

"And the radio said it was supposed to keep raining for the next couple of days, at least," Matsuri adds. "I was listening to it while Yurie-chan was gone - they said it was supposed to get _worse_, not better!"

I try not to scoff at that, but I can't keep the skepticism out of my voice completely. "The wood pile thing... okay, maybe," I say dubiously. While I'm definitely not going to say Kyon's not capable of doing it, for him to pay that little attention and do so well is a little odd. "I can see it being a little weird, since Kyon's not exactly the most coordinated guy in the world-"

"He is too!" Matsuri shoots back, giving me a dark look. "Kyon-nii-sama is the most awesome!"

Yurie shoots her a warning look at that, and I can't help but grin a little - both at the comment and the embarrassed look on Matsuri's face. I can understand some hero worship from her since he saved her life and all, but it seems more cute than anything!

"Anyway, the woodpile thing I can see being a bit unusual, but the weather?" I shake my head. "There's no way Kyon could do anything about the weather, so it just has to be a coincidence - even if it really _is_ a weird one."

Yurie nods sadly at that. "I know, but it's just... Kyon-nii already did something impossible with the door on the saiguden, so maybe he can do other things that should be impossible? I wonder, I wonder..."

She does have a point... and I have to admit, Yurie seems sharp as a tack. Just from the little bit she heard on the phone - and the orders I told her to give Kyon - she figured out that he was working on stuff with dreams, and then to top that off she's been paying enough attention to pick up little details like the woodpile at her house.

I give her a confident grin as I stand up to leave. "Well... I don't know how much of it has to do with Kyon, but I'll definitely talk to him about it - we've got a lot of things to discuss with all the time he's been gone from the Brigade, and I'll make sure to get a straight answer from him about this stuff too!"

"Thanks, Suzumiya-san," Yurie replies, smiling weakly. "Um... tell us how it goes, then?"

"You bet I will!" I fire back, giving the two girls a wave as I head out to join the others. Kyon, you're going to have to answer some tough questions yourself!

* * *

><p>I finished my shower and changed clothes before Koizumi got out of the bath- But if Haruhi had led the others on a grueling cross-country trek, I couldn't fault him.<p>

Of course, by the time I find my way into the hall, Haruhi is leading the dozing Asahina-san toward the one empty room remaining. Nagato trails behind, probably ready to catch the time traveler in an instant should she collapse. She must have been even more worn out than Koizumi!

"Ah, let me get the door for you," I suggest, hurrying down the hall before Haruhi could order me to do it herself. Once the door was open, I realize that the futons in that room are still folded in the closet. There were also only two of them, but that would have to be sorted out later. Before Haruhi leads Asahina-san's trudging figure through the door, I'd unrolled one of the futons and set out a pillow.

Haruhi gives a grudging nod of approval and leads the already half-dozing time traveler to the bedding, where she collapses almost instantly and bonelessly, emitting a soft snore. Even that is charming, from Asahina-san! Haruhi beats me to the blankets, pulling a thick comforter over Asahina-san's form and pausing with a frown.

"I should make her put her proper pajamas on, but I don't want to make her stay up any longer if she's so worn out," the brigade chief grouses. Shaking her head, Haruhi leans close to Asahina-san, softly pressing the back of her hand to the older girl's forehead. "No fever," she judges after a moment, nodding. "Hmm, but maybe I should watch over her anyway?"

"I will see to her wellbeing," Nagato offers softly, causing both Haruhi and I to jolt slightly.

Haruhi looks about ready to question the nearly silent girl before realization of some sort flashes in her eyes. "Alright," Haruhi agrees. "You must be tired, too, huh? Don't wear yourself out, though! Now, Kyon - be a gentleman and set up that other futon! If Yuki wants to rest, too, it should be ready for her!"

I shrug and haul the second futon out of the closet, rolling it out on the floor. "There are only two, though," I remark. "Where will you be sleeping?"

Haruhi makes a face at that realization, then shakes her head. "Just put it right next to Mikuru-chan's," she declares. "I'll sleep in the middle. Like we've said before, it's okay for girls to sleep together."

I try not to think about that too hard. It's actually easier than I would have expected, seeing Haruhi kneeling on the futon at Asahina-san's side, patting her wrist like a concerned sister.

Things like that remind me of how far Haruhi has come... And this was _after_ she learned that Asahina-san was a time traveler. Seeing her like that ... it really does reassure me that Haruhi can be trusted with the truth she deserves.

She shakes her head abruptly, patting Asahina-san gently one more time. This prompts the older girl to mumble something in her sleep and release a contented sigh between tiny snores. Looking up, she nods as Nagato and says, "Thanks for looking out for her, Yuki. Don't forget to take care of yourself, too!"

Nagato offers her miniscule nod in response, and Haruhi springs to her feet, as though eager to be off. Her eyes flash as she rounds on me, and she gestures me into the hallway.

Oh, boy...

I nod at Nagato myself, then follow Haruhi once she rises from Asahina-san's side. In the hall, we gently slide the door shut, letting those two rest. I don't know if Nagato really needs it, but at least she's got the opportunity, if she wants it.

Haruhi looks down the hall both ways, freezing at the sight of Aunt Satoko.

"Well, hello, there," the blonde woman says with an almost-concealed smirk. "So, you must be Kyon-kun's girlfriend that he's been so reluctant to talk about?"

Haruhi blinks a few times, her face reddening very faintly. "What _has_ he told you?" Haruhi wonders curiously.

Aunt Satoko clicks her tongue and gives me a mock stern look. "Almost nothing!" she declares. "Though ... since Matsu-chan has only really calmed down after Kyon-kun rescued her and Yurie-chan from the flood, that might have been very wise of him!"

I can't help but sigh and hang my head. Haruhi brightens thoughtfully. "Kyon rescued his cousins from trouble?" she wonders. "I'd love to hear more of that!"

I cough and gesture to Haruhi. "Aunt Satoko, this is my friend, Suzumiya Haruhi. Haruhi, this is my aunt Satoko."

"Pleasure to meet you, dear!" my aunt says brightly, nodding at Haruhi. She then raises a thoughtful fingertip to her lips. "Though ... I _would_ love to chat, there's still a lot to be done. Hmm, but Suzumiya-chan has to have walked all this way, according to Rika-chan." She smacks one fist into the opposite palm. "Ah! Kyon-kun, why don't you take your friend for a short walk around the property? I'm sure you have a lot to discuss!"

"Sure," I agree. It will be almost impossible to talk to Haruhi once the cousins stir from their naptime.

I am a bit surprised that Aunt Satoko has let go of the opportunity to corner Haruhi with some questions of her own! I'd expect that she would have a lot of questions for the girl who led an expedition into such a troubled area, and at such risks!

"Also," Aunt Satoko adds with a wink, "we can all chat more properly over dinner anyway!"

...or she's just waiting for the unneeded firepower that the other aunts will bring to bear. It's almost enough to make me worry for Haruhi!

"Right," I mumble, scratching the back of my head. After leading Haruhi to the front door, we step outside just as I hear Shutaro stirring, calling down the hall that he's thirsty.

Haruhi gives me a flat, dubious stare as we walk to the slope that overlooks the town, behind a screen of trees from the house.

"So!" she declares, wheeling on me abruptly. "You rescued two of your cousins from a flood?"

"It's not so big a deal," I say with a shrug. I admit, I _am_ a bit proud that I kept them from being hurt, but being completely honest, it was simply the right thing to do. "Matsuri was being careless and sulking..." I trail off and squint. It's easy enough to pick out the shrine through the trees from here, so I point it out. "There's the shrine - down the slope toward the river is where the saiguden that Matsuri had hidden in was."

Of course, there's nothing but a muddy ribbon of land next to the still-swollen river, now.

"Anyway, once the surge of water was coming, I had to take care of her." I shrugged at that. "That's ... really not that big a deal compared to ... other things. Even though you've come all the way here - how was your investigation going?" I can't help the worry that enters my voice at that, despite how gently she was treating Asahina-san earlier. "Have you talked to Koizumi? Or Nagato?"

Haruhi grimaces, then settles down on the grass. Since she's made the first move, I absently sit on a flat patch of grass myself.

"I tried looking into Koizumi-kun's dream," she answers sourly. "I wasn't able to reach him, and it ... wasn't pleasant. It's a concern, but I didn't have enough time to really pursue it further- Though it made it clear _you_ were important to him, anyway."

I wasn't sure what to make of that.

"That being said - tell me all about this heroic rescue of your cousins!"

This again? I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I'd recounted the story often enough already! "There's not that much more to say... Matsuri was sulking, after she was punished for interrupting our phone call. She went to the saiguden by the river, and Yurie helped me find her- The whole building was sinking into the mud when I got there, and because of that, the statue of Oyashiro-sama had fallen on top of her, pinning her in place.

"I pulled the door open, moved the statue aside, and then ran for all I was worth, carrying both of them. Adrenaline can let you do amazing things!"

"The door pulled open?" Haruhi pressed, raising her eyebrows thoughtfully.

"Of course," I agreed. "And it's a good thing it opened that way - if it opened into the building, the mud would have blocked it."

"What if it was a sliding door?"

What kind of question was that? "Well, in that case, the building was tilted - I expect the frame of the shed would have jammed it," I said after thinking about it. "It's very lucky it was built the way it was!"

"And then you managed to outrun a storm surge?" she demands, raising her eyebrows.

"It wasn't that far to the nearest upward slope," I answered, a bit defensively. "What's with all the questions? For me, a lot of it was just an adrenaline-fueled blur, anyway."

Haruhi makes a face at that answer. Before she can ask another question, I hear my mother calling, "Kyon-kun! Can you help out with something?"

I sigh and shrug, offering her a lopsided smile. "Anyway ... more errands to take care of, I suppose." I climb to my feet and walk away, though Haruhi seems strangely intent on where I was sitting. "Are you coming?"

"In a minute," she replies, her gaze shifting to the distant river.

Well ... I guess I can just ask Nagato what else Haruhi's been up to later. In the meantime, I call back, "Coming!" to my mother and hurry through the trees back to the house.

* * *

><p>Moonlight slants across the floor of the guest room where I've been sleeping with Mikuru and Yuki - or trying to, anyway. My <em>body<em> is certainly exhausted; a long train trip, followed by a shorter-than-usual night's sleep and then a ten kilometer hike through rough, unfamiliar terrain... it's definitely been a long day!

But my mind is going way too fast to make sleep even a remote possibility; I've been tossing and turning for hours, and finally I just decide to give up. I try to stay as quiet as I can, sitting up from where I've been laying between Mikuru and Yuki.

As I rise, Mikuru gives out a little whimper in her sleep; she's been doing so off and on for most of the night, at least as long as I've been in the room. I'm hoping she's not having any trouble in her own dreams - I'd definitely help her out if I could, but that's dependent on me getting to sleep in the first place.

I was actually really impressed with her today! While she got the lightest of the packs when we left Okinomiya, it was pretty obvious that she wasn't in any kind of shape to make that long a hike cross-country - but she never complained even once, even after she collapsed in the mud a couple of times. I'm honestly not surprised that she passed out after we got here; while she managed to wake up long enough to have dinner, she went back to bed again almost immediately afterward.

Dinner... I try not to cringe at the memory of that, hugging my knees as I stare blankly ahead. The meal itself was like facing a panel of inquisitors; between Kyon's mother wondering why we were here at all, and then all of his aunts asking leading questions about whether Kyon and I were going out...

I didn't dislike any of them, really, but seeing a half-dozen variations on a knowing smirk from all of Kyon's relatives - not _all_ relatives, I found out, but close enough friends that they might as well have been - I felt like crawling into my futon and hiding just to avoid the embarrassing questions! Kyon had to have felt the same way; I think both of us were running out of variations on "no, we're just friends" by the time the meal was over.

And just when I thought that escaping the dinner table would be a reprieve, we were asked to keep tabs on Kyon's cousins afterwards. Kyon's little sister is fun; she's always a little ball of excitement and energy - but I have to admit, the charm wears out kind of fast when you multiply that by seven. And it was only seven because Matsuri and Yurie were apparently grounded after having to get rescued by Kyon, or we would have been dealing with nine cousins all at once.

Somehow, I'm feeling a lot more sympathetic to his grumbling in having to come up here to look after them!

It wasn't entirely bad, but after such a long day having to deal with looking after the entire troop of them after dinner was easily as _mentally_ draining as the walk to get here was _physically_ exhausting. Even with the whole group doing something as seemingly mild as playing cards and board games, the countless small squabbles had me ready to tear my hair out at points.

Kyon was the one that held the whole thing together, somehow; I'm used to watching him snark at suggestions in the Brigade, but watching him use that to defuse arguments between his cousins was a side of him I've never really seen before. I hadn't thought of him as a peacemaker prior to that, but after seeing Makoto and Shutaro almost come to blows over an argument about cheating, then end up apologizing to each other after just a few pointed words from Kyon...

Even if my other theory about Kyon turns out to be wrong, he's inhumanly patient if nothing else!

Given all of that, though, you'd think that I could just pass out, but my thoughts keep moving at a million miles an hour, and I can't keep my eyes closed even though I _want_ to. With a sigh, I glance over at my impromptu roommates - and start as I notice that Yuki is awake and staring at me, her eyes almost seeming to glow in the faint light coming in through the window.

My breath catches for a minute, then I shake my head, beckoning Yuki to follow me as I rise and head out into the hallway. I've been wanting to talk to her again since I found out about Mikuru and the rest of the Brigade, but with all of the insanity around the fundraiser and then the trip to get up here, there just hasn't been time. But if she's not sleeping, and I can't sleep anyway, now's as good a time as any.

Once I've confirmed that Yuki's following me, I head out to the kitchen; it's far enough from most of the bedrooms that I don't think I'll have to worry about anyone else in the house overhearing us. As we walk - and I try not to get lost in the unfamiliar house - I try to settle my stomach; I've got a mild case of butterflies, but it's actually not all that bad considering what I'm about to say.

A big help in that regard is actually knowing what Kyon thinks about Yuki. I'm not blind; I've known for a long time that he and Yuki are kind of close. I don't really know _why_, but to be honest it doesn't actually bother me all that much. I've definitely given Kyon hell for ogling Mikuru enough times, and I was dead serious when I read him the riot act about dating her - the two of them getting tied up in some sappy romance would have distracted both of them from the Brigade, but just being Yuki's friend wouldn't cause the same kind of problems.

...okay, I'll admit that there _may_ have been some ulterior motive in laying into Kyon about Mikuru. Kind of hard not to admit to at least that much after going through the entirety of dinner with his aunts and uncles, glowing like a stoplight at all the leading questions. Damn it, this is the _last_ thing I needed right now! I've got too many other things on my mind! Not just this whole mess in Hinamizawa, but the investigation of the other Brigade members, trying to figure out what to do to help Mikuru, trying to figure out _why_ the other Brigade members are here and what it has to do with Kyon, what Kyon might actually be _himself_...

I've got enough to deal with at the moment, though, and so I set that aside for now, because I _have_ to. Instead, I turn my attention to the purple-haired, silent member of my Brigade, who in turn is simply watching me with her usual expressionless look. I vent a short sigh, letting my hands rest on my hips as I study Yuki.

After a few moments, I realize that I'm just putting things off again - not that Yuki seems to mind at all, but we can't just stand here all night, either. "So... you told me before that you couldn't tell me anything about yourself, but you'd tell me if I figured it out myself, right?"

She simply nods at that, and I take it as a cue to continue. "I found out about Mikuru-chan," I begin, watching Yuki's face to see if she gives anything away at that. I might as well try to read a stone wall, though! "After finding out about her, and remembering something that Kyon told me once - something I _thought_ was a joke...

"Are you an alien, Yuki?"

The answer is underwhelming, but typically Yuki: a simple nod. "In essence," she agrees.

I blow out my breath at that, shaking my head slightly. Even if it wasn't much of guess - Kyon _gave_ me the truth, months ago! - it's still something of a relief to have confirmation. That answer wasn't _completely_ what I was expecting, though. "What do you mean by 'in essence'?"

Yuki eyes seem to dim a bit at that. "I... am unable to be more specific," she replies, her gaze slipping away from mine.

"That's it?" I huff, scowling. "You're going to tease me with that and then just leave me hanging?"

"I am restricted from providing information directly to you about my own nature," Yuki says, her eyes shifting back to lock onto mine.

"Restricted?" I raise an eyebrow at that... but thinking about it, that sounds awfully similar to what Mikuru told me in the dream, too - that she wouldn't be _able_ to tell me anything about the fact that she was a time traveler outside of the dream. "Don't tell me - you've got some total jerk of a boss too? Even if you _want_ to tell me, you can't?"

She pauses for a moment, then repeats herself. "In essence."

I snort at that, scowling. "This is not at _all_ what I had in mind when I said I wanted to meet aliens and time travelers and have fun with them," I grouse. "What fun is it if you've all got to deal with superiors that won't even _let_ you do what you want?"

Yuki offers no comment in reply, and I simply shake my head. "At this rate, I'm going to find out that Koizumi-kun's family is being held hostage to make sure he's in the Brigade or something," I mutter. "Anyway, Yuki - you obviously can talk to other people about what you are, or else Kyon wouldn't know, is that right?"

She nods in confirmation. "I am not permitted to give information about my true nature specifically to you," Yuki clarifies, the slightest hint of regret in her tone.

"But you would if you could?" I reply, crossing my arms as I look back at her.

"I believe it would be beneficial at this point," the pale-haired girl says. "However, the option to make that decision has not been left to my discretion."

What kind of weird and crazy mind control must these aliens _have_?! Even _Yuki_ thinks it'd be a good idea to tell me, but she just flat-out can't!

I try not to grind my teeth, then finally give Yuki a small nod. "All right, thanks for at least giving me some confirmation then," I say, my voice tight. "I have no idea how, but you have my word that I'll try to help you with your boss... _somehow_."

"Thank you," Yuki says softly, then the ghost of a smile seems to cross her face in the faint moonlight from the window over the sink. "I believe that matters may be changing significantly soon - your help will be appreciated."

Changing soon? What, if I come out publicly and say who everyone is that's going to change things? I was planning on doing it soon anyway - I want to get real straight answers from everyone, at this point - but this just solidifies my resolve to get it done as soon as I can arrange it! I almost go on to ask Yuki _how_ she expects things to change, but don't make it that far; I suspect it'd count as 'providing information' to me and she'd have to clam up about it.

"It's a promise," I say, giving her a small grin. "As the Brigade chief, I have to look out for my Brigade members, don't I?"

Well, that wasn't what I had in mind when I set up the Brigade - taking on mind-controlling aliens and time travelers might be fun in theory, but in reality it's a bit daunting! It doesn't matter, though - these are my friends and my Brigade, and I'm not letting anyone take them away from me without a fight!


	13. Unknown Kadath

In Your Dreams - Chapter Thirteen

Unknown Kadath

A Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu fanfiction

co-authored by Halbarad and Brian Randall

Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.

* * *

><p>While I was enjoying having a room to myself, sharing it with Koizumi isn't actually that bad. He doesn't snore, or try and keep me up with rambling philosophical debates. In fact, given how tired he was after Haruhi's crazy march to a disaster zone, he not only falls asleep before me, when morning comes around, I manage to wake up before him.<p>

My cousin-watching duties pretty much began the moment I stepped into the hall, but for a change of pace, I let them all engage in an exciting round of 'draw on the sleeping esper'. I have to admit, I'm impressed both by Makoto's steady hand and how quiet the cousins can really be when they set their minds to it!

I manage to usher the lot of them back into the hall before Koizumi stirs - but their giggling is enough to tip Haruhi off. The door to the room she and the other girls were sharing slides open enough for her to look out suspiciously.

Fearing they've been caught, my cousins (and sister) swarm off, giggling and laughing even louder.

Haruhi crosses her arms over her chest and watches Shutaro trundle off around the corner toward the living room last before turning her attention to me. "What was _that_ about?" she wonders suspiciously.

"Sorry," Koizumi says from behind me tiredly. "Did I miss something?"

I manage to avoid turning to look at him - barely. Haruhi's reaction is enough to force me to momentarily bite my tongue. Her eyes widen and she bites back an exclamation, just staring in surprise.

"Good morning, Kyon-kun, Suzumiya-san," he adds, a bit more brightly.

"So- Uh, you're likely to get sentenced to hard labor with me while you're here," I say quickly. "Which means my aunts will put you to work helping distract my cousins."

"By the look of things, you got Koizumi-kun a head start," Haruhi retorts, keeping a smirk in check as Yuki steps out from behind Haruhi, blinking at the pair of us.

I cough as Aunt Satoko calls down the hall, "Kyon-kun! If you and your friends are up, I've made some coffee!"

"Good morning," Asahina-san echoes, tiredly peeking from behind Haruhi before she cuts off with a squeal, then starts giggling.

"Um..." Koizumi hesitates a moment, and then sighs. "There's something on my face, isn't there?"

"It'll wash off!" I encourage him, turning to regard Makoto's artwork.

Dark circles around his eyes and whiskers on his cheeks make him look astonishingly like a raccoon. "I hope I made a good impression on your cousins, then," he says, with an amused shrug.

"Seems like they like you to me," Haruhi agrees. "Anyway, if we're going to be stuck babysitting, now would be the time to go after that coffee."

I nodded and beckoned the others to follow me. The cousins are happily crowded around the kotatsu in the living room, giggling again at Koizumi's face. He just shrugs and smiles about it - in retrospect, it's a good thing he can handle it so well.

Aunt Satoko and Aunt Rena are finishing up in the kitchen - Rena with breakfast, and Satoko with coffee. "Do you like it..." the blonde aunt starts before trailing off and staring at Koizumi's face. "Um," she starts, grinning and shaking her head. "Do you like it black?"

"Cream and sugar for me," Koizumi poses. "I should probably find a mirror at some point, too."

"Why- Ah, tanuki," Aunt Rena judges, nodding. "We used to do that to Kei-chan all the time!"

"Uncle Keiichi got his face scribbled on?" I asked, a bit surprised as I showed the others to the kitchen's smaller Western-style table.

"Penalty games," Aunt Satoko and Aunt Rena said in simultaneous fond remembrance.

"Of course," Aunt Rena muses thoughtfully, "I suppose you're too old for such things."

"Oh, I'm not sure about that," Haruhi says, grinning mischievously. "If it could happen to Koizumi-kun, I think I know what Kyon's next penalty might be..."

In retrospect, I might end up paying for Koizumi's current state quite heavily! I'll have to be sure to get a picture to remember the situation later.

"Well - the entire Brigade is here, thanks to Haruhi. I imagine that the new recruits will be facing the same assignment as me?" I ask, changing the subject as Aunt Satoko hands Koizumi his coffee, and then turns to preparing a cup for me.

"More help around the house would certainly be welcome," Aunt Rena agrees. "Doing laundry without power is quite a chore! So - if your friends are willing to keep your cousins busy, then once you finish eating ... you can do the dishes!"

There are worse fates, I suppose.

"Oh, um, I can help!" Asahina-san anxiously offers. "Um, I'm sorry - I was such a poor guest last night-"

"You were exhausted," Haruhi overrides her before she can continue. "You had a good reason!"

"Ah..." Asahina-san's face colors as she ducks her head.

Giggling, Aunt Rena serves plates before each of us. "Yes, you can't blame yourself, dear. Still, if you'd like to help Kyon-kun, I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem."

"Gives you a few minutes of respite before handling the cousins," Haruhi allows, narrowing her eyes doubtfully.

Breakfast isn't anything spectacular, but given how many of our supplies we've gone through, Aunt Rena really is doing a remarkable job keeping everyone fed. We're still getting rice, toast, and miso soup - things could be much worse!

It's quiet for a bit as everyone eats, my aunts only collecting the dishes from my cousins before heading to the back yard, where the laundry is being handled. That really _is_ a tedious job, though! I finish early and head to the sink to handle a much easier task - the dishes.

Asahina-san joins me uncertainly a moment later, and I point out where the dishrags are so she can dry them off. Of course, she doesn't know where anything goes, but it's still help, and I wouldn't complain about Asahina-san in any case.

"Are your aunts really washing things by hand - the old fashioned way?" Haruhi wonders.

"Nah, they have a hand-powered machine for use in power outages," I explain, shrugging. "Mostly it's just an excuse to take a break and leave the kids with us for a bit. If it were _really_ bad, they could probably run the generator for a bit and actually use the washing machine."

"I see," Haruhi muses, looking thoughtful. "Well, in any case, we've got an assignment - Kyon, do a good job with those dishes! Mikuru-chan, if he tries anything he shouldn't, just scream, and I'll be right there!"

Hey!

"Yuki, Tanuki-san, let's go meet Kyon's cousins more properly! We hardly got to know them last night, right?"

When I glance over, I have the strangest impression of Yuki being _amused_ as she follows Haruhi and Koizumi into the living room. Judging by my sister's cheer at seeing Haruhi again, there's nothing to worry about on that front.

I shake my head and hand Asahina-san the first washed bowl. She studiously dries it and moves over to make room for me to set more down. "Are you doing alright, Asahina-san?" I wonder. "The hike here - it must have been pretty tough on you!"

"I...it wasn't that bad," she defers quietly. "Everyone else ... was working so hard- So I had to keep up! Um ... I can't even remember getting to this place, though. Just Suzumiya-san waking me up and helping me get to the bath before bed."

Hmm, she forgot me carrying her on my back? Part of me is disappointed, but I shrug it off - really, she was just worn to the bone. "You worked very hard, too," I encourage her. "Trust Haruhi to lead such a dangerous mission, though."

"It's okay, though!" Asahina-san protests quickly, smiling as she wipes another dish and sets it aside on the counter. "Suzumiya-san was very thoughtful- She kept an eye on me and let me stop to catch my breath!"

Hmm. That's Haruhi's reaction to finding the truth about Asahina-san out? She takes care to be more thoughtful of her - maybe even protective?

Well, I know I've thought that Haruhi was always at her best when she looked out for others, but it is nice seeing her become even more proactive about things. "Asahina-san," I say, handing the next dish over and glancing to the living room- I can hear Haruhi playing with the cousins, but no one seems to be eavesdropping. "You know that Haruhi's trying to ... well, this is Haruhi. You know that she's going to figure everything out?"

"I- What do you mean?" Asahina-san asks, taking the bowl from me and wiping it dry. "You mean ... about Koizumi-kun and Nagato-san?"

That's nothing new, though. "And about _herself_," I say, waiting to make sure Asahina-san doesn't overreact and drop the next bowl before I can hand it over.

Surprisingly enough, while her eyes widen a bit, she doesn't look that troubled or surprised. "W...well..." She hesitates, focusing on drying the next dish before shaking her head and giving me a warm smile. "If the two people I trust most are deciding to be honest with one-another, then I'm certain everything will be okay!

"I've ... learned some surprising things recently," she continues, while I finish up the last of the dishes. "I didn't know that in ... dreams, I could avoid running into limitations around what I could and could not say! Well, there were things I couldn't tell you, and things you couldn't tell Suzumiya-san- I'm glad I can be here when we can all be more honest!

"It should be ... I think ... positive for everyone, shouldn't it?" she concludes, smiling brightly.

Wait- What did Asahina-san tell Haruhi? Or had the two of them just puzzled out what I wanted Asahina-san to discover - but couldn't tell her myself? Then again - was there a point to worrying about it? I suppose there wasn't!

"That reassures me, as well," I have to admit, grinning as I wipe my hands off and start putting dishes away.

"Hey!" Haruhi calls from the living room, peeking in at us. "Hurry up and join us!"

"Almost done," I reply. "We'll be finished in a minute or two, Haruhi."

Asahina-san nods brightly, smiling as she dries off the last plate.

* * *

><p>Kyon's cousins are an absolute riot! Every last one of them is a giant ball of energy, to the point where even <em>I'm<em> having trouble keeping up with them! Fortunately - both for the Brigade and for them - we're able to take them outside today; Kyon explained that with all the rain they've had, his cousins have all been cooped up inside for nearly a solid week.

Watching the full group of them racing around on the lawn playing 'zombie tag' and hide-and-seek isn't too bad, though. For the most part they're content to keep the game among themselves, while we watch and make sure no one gets hurt. Once or twice they manage to draw Kyon and me into their antics, but most of the time we actually try to stay out of the games.

Rather, I should say that _Kyon_ stays out of the game most of the time, and I'm actually following his lead. I've done babysitting before, and I tutor one of my neighbors that's about this age, but dealing with this many children all in the same place at once is something I honestly don't have a lot of experience with. Kyon handles it like a pro, but I guess that's no real surprise if this is the main thing he's been doing for the last week!

Still, the announcement of lunch by one of Kyon's aunts - Mion, I think - grants us all a reprieve for a while. I'm getting the cousins' names down fairly well at this point - hearing them constantly as they're shouted across the lawn helps with that a lot - but I'm still having trouble with the adults. The only time I've even _seen_ his uncles and his father was when we were eating dinner last night; they apparently went down to work on the mudslide blocking the road around the same time we were all just getting up.

It's only as we're all coming into the dining room to eat that I hear one of the aunts pipe up from the kitchen. "Hmm, someone will need to take lunch up to Matsuri and Yurie," she calls, and it's not until she comes out into the dining room that I recognize her as the one aunt whose name I _do_ know - Rika, the one who we met at the school yesterday.

I glance around at the others, then realize that it'll be either me or Kyon that has to do it; the others don't know Matsuri or Yurie yet. Almost without thinking I jump to my feet and volunteer; it's only after Rika's loaded me up with a tray containing the two lunches that I realize it's given me a perfect escape from another round of pointed questions and thinly veiled teasing from the aunts - and that I'm leaving Kyon to face it alone.

He can handle it, though - they're _his_ family!

I end up eating with the two grounded girls myself for just that reason. It looks like they've spent the morning working on making teruterubouzu, explaining how Kyon taught them the story behind the ghost-like dolls when the entire cadre of cousins was stuck inside making them last week. I get the feeling Matsuri's been spending more of her time watching the rest of the kids outside, though, since she seems considerably more subdued than she was just last night.

I spend the time chatting with Yurie a bit more, though. Thankfully, her questions aren't quite as incisive as her mother's are - not that I could likely pick her mother out of a lineup, but _all_ of the aunts were having a field day at dinner last night. Most of her questions are fairly innocent - how I met Kyon, what the SOS Brigade is and what we all do in it, more or less just finding out a bit more about me. Her eyes light up at the mention of the movie, although she seems disappointed when I reveal that Kyon never really appeared in the movie directly, just as the narrator.

Before long, though, lunch is finished, and I collect the empty bowls and haul them back down to the kitchen, where Rika is starting on the dishes. I give her a smile as I set the tray down next to the sink, but a thought occurs to me as I turn to go.

Kyon had told me that his aunt Rika was actually the shrine maiden for the shrine in the village; maybe I can get a bit more information about just how strange Kyon's rescue really was from her. Instead of turning to go meet the others out in the dining room, I offer to help her with the dishes.

"So thoughtful!" Rika says, giving me a smile. "I certainly won't say no to help!"

"It's fine," I reply, returning the smile. "I mean, we _did_ kind of show up out of nowhere, so it's only fair to do our share of work to make up for the inconvenience!"

Her smile dims a bit at that, but she nods anyway, and I take up a towel to start drying as she finishes washing. Since we're away from Kyon for the foreseeable future, though, I decide to dive right into my investigation.

"Um... Fuurude-san," I start, stacking a rice bowl to the side of the sink. "Kyon told me that you run the shrine here in Hinamizawa, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," Rika agrees, passing me another wet bowl. "Not that there's all that much to do most of the time, other than a few holidays."

"Well... I heard about Kyon rescuing Matsuri from the flooding there," I begin, looking at her sidelong. "Secondhand, I might add - he didn't even think it was important enough to tell me himself, apparently!"

She smiles at that, shaking her head. "Well, it's not the first thing to explain when friends arrive unexpectedly, is it? I'd think he would be more surprised just to see someone he never expected to be here, doki doki~!"

I can feel myself start to blush at the implication she's making with the beating heart noises, but I forge ahead anyway. "W-well... I guess so," I admit grudgingly. "But still - it sounds like he was a real hero, getting her out just before the building got washed away!"

"I'm very fortunate that Kyon-kun found Matsuri-chan when he did," Rika says, looking a bit distant as she stops washing for a moment. "Another few minutes, and..." She shakes her head, then gets back to the chore at hand. "Well! Regardless of what _could_ have happened, it didn't, thanks to Kyon-kun!"

It's at that point I remember that Matsuri is Rika's daughter, and thinking on that... yeah, for her especially it's good that Kyon was a hero that day! "I was wondering one thing about the story Matsuri-chan told me, though," I continue, taking the next of the cleaned dishes from her. "What exactly is a saiguden? I've been to shrines in Nishinomiya a few times for New Year's and Obon, but I don't remember hearing about any building called a 'saiguden' there."

"Ahh," Rika says, nodding. "They're not all that common any longer, that's likely why. It's a ritual equipment temple - it's essentially a storage building for various ceremonial and sacred items."

"Well, that's one less question for Kyon, then," I reply, flapping the dishtowel to air it out a little. A meal with more than a dozen people makes for a lot of dishes! "Was it very old?"

"Several centuries, actually," comes the reply, Rika shaking her head. "It's something of a blow for it to have collapsed like that, but it really should have had some repairs done soon in any case. It's a bit difficult, though, since entering the building is prohibited to anyone who isn't a member of the Fuurude family, or who has our permission. And even with permission, I don't think most of the villagers would be willing to enter if I asked them to!"

Now _there's_ a statement with hooks in it! I'm tempted to dig further, but I imagine I can get the story behind that from Kyon later. And hearing that the building was that old certainly lends some credence to the girls' claims that the door didn't open on hinges! Definitely any building that was centuries old would have an old-fashioned sliding wooden door, not something with a knob and hinges.

"So Kyon had never been in there before?" I ask, moving a stack of clean bowls to a cupboard at Rika's direction.

"Oh no, definitely not," Rika replies. "In fact, he was technically in trouble for going in when he rescued Matsuri, since he didn't have my permission first! Not that I would have denied it to him, but it was very risky in any case!"

I almost want to laugh at that - who would actually get upset with him other than Rika herself? But then I wonder; if aliens, time travelers, and espers are actually real, who's to say that gods and youkai might not be just as real? That puts me in a bit more thoughtful frame of mind, and I simply nod in reply as we finish up the last of the plates.

"Now, it's my turn for a question," Rika replies as she allows the sink to drain. "I really do wonder... Suzumiya-san, why are you here?"

I start a bit at the way she puts it, then give her a puzzled look. "Why am I... to make sure Kyon's okay, of course!"

"So he means that much to you, then?" she says, giving me a level look - there's no teasing now, and I swallow at the serious gaze she's giving me.

"He... I... well, he's part of my Brigade, so of course I'd be worried about him! I'd do the same for any of them!" I splutter.

"Really?" Rika replies, turning away and wiping down the counter next to the sink. "Don't get me wrong, Suzumiya-san - I think it's admirable that you'd be so concerned for Kyon after the troubles we've had here. But you knew he was safe; I know he called you just a couple of days ago when they finally got the phone lines working. Or at least I presume it was you - since his family is here with him, I could only imagine that he was calling friends back in Nishinomiya that might be worried about him.

"Well, that's... we'd already made plans to come up here," I retort, turning away to hang the towel in the oven door so it can dry - and so I don't have to face the older woman.

"So you'd been planning to travel more than a thousand kilometers, to one of the most remote areas in all of Japan, just to check up on a member of your club?" Rika pushes back, her tone light even though her words are anything but. "Not just that, but to do so while this is an official disaster area! You and your 'brigade' hiked over ground that even the JSDF thought it wasn't worth the risk to try crossing on foot to get here!

"That's a remarkable amount of effort to go through, especially considering that you're also risking a lot of trouble with your school and your parents as well," she concludes.

When she puts it that way, it _does_ actually drive home just how much work went into getting up here to find Kyon. Even if I'd _only_ set up the fundraiser by itself, that was already a crazy amount of organizing, and then on top of that the entire trip getting up here... Granted, Yuki did all the work in lining up the travel arrangements, but then we actually went through with all of it - like Rika just said, traveling into the middle of a disaster area while the relief efforts were still going on!

The trouble with parents and school aren't that big to me, though; after everything that happened in middle school, I've had the riot act read to me by my parents so many times I could rattle it off by heart - at this point I think they've just plain given up. And with school... well, that's a bridge we'll cross when we get to it, I guess. But to be honest, I hadn't even _considered_ either of those when I decided to come find Kyon; she's got a fair point, but honestly I just don't care about what trouble I might get in for this.

Since I don't say anything in reply, Rika picks up the conversation again. "I'm not going to presume to tell you your business, Suzumiya-san," she says quietly. "But I look out for my family - and even if we're not related by blood, Kyon-kun _is_ still part of my family. I won't say that you shouldn't have come here, but I do think you should really consider whether you honestly _would_ have gone to such lengths for just anyone - and think about what that means."

My continuing silence is punctuated by the shuffling of Rika's feet as she heads out of the kitchen, although she pauses for a moment - presumably at the doorway into the rest of the house, although I'm still facing the stove so I can only guess.

"If you'd like, have Kyon-kun take you and your Brigade out for a walk this afternoon," she says, her voice shifting back to its normal lilting tone. "Rena-chan and I need to lead the children through their lessons for today in any case, and you did come a long way to see him - so go out and enjoy the sunshine with him, poka poka~!"

It takes me a minute, but I do find my voice again finally. "I... will, thanks," I say, sounding subdued even to myself.

* * *

><p>Haruhi surprises me a bit when she volunteers to take care of the 'prisoners'. I suppose I really <em>shouldn't<em> be surprised. Thanks to that, and the other Brigade members, lunch is actually reasonably subdued.

After we finish and Koizumi and I carry the dishes into the kitchen, I find Haruhi wiping her hands on a dishtowel while Aunt Rika finishes wiping up the last of the pots and pans. The Brigade chief's eyes widen and she freezes, before abruptly shaking her head.

"I can take care of these," Aunt Rika says, before Haruhi can remark herself, giving the girl a friendly smile. "Go on, now."

"What's this about?" I wonder, as Koizumi and I carefully set the dishes in the sink.

"Since we're all here and have time for it - Brigade meeting," Haruhi declares, nodding firmly, but not actually meeting my eyes. "Kyon, since you know the surrounding area, you'll have to lead the way - so show us someplace nearby where we can discuss things in peace!"

I can't help but heave a small sigh at that. "Of course," I mumble, shaking my head. There are plenty of places nearby, but with all the rain... "I'm not sure what's worth seeing after the storm, unless you want to just walk through the woods. We could actually see the landslide, I suppose. You came in around it, didn't you?"

"That works!" Haruhi declares, when Koizumi nods confirmation.

So thanks to that, the Brigade rushes out beneath an onslaught of pouting cousins that have to stay behind as we get a chance to escape. Asahina-san looks uncertain about the journey, but even if she's nervous, she manages enough confidence to get her shoes on and follow us out to the lawn. From there, I gesture down the long path leading down to the village.

"Are you planning on searching the village for mysteries?" I ask, giving Haruhi a small smirk as Aunt Mion's house vanishes behind a screen of trees.

"We don't need to go that far," she replies, shaking her head as if to dispel some lingering thoughts.

Well, she'd figured out Asahina-san, so I steel myself. This might end up being a bit of a serious conversation after all. Koizumi looks wary, but holds his tongue. Nagato's expression is the same as always, and Asahina-san seems more concerned with her footing than looking up at anyone else. Then again, she had tripped a few times on her way here.

"Alright," I prompt. "So ... what mysteries have you discovered?"

Haruhi frowns and comes to a halt, putting her hands on her hips. Asahina-san squeaks and almost falls over at the sudden stop, but Haruhi's hand shoots out lightning-fast and grabs the older girl's elbow, steadying her. Nagato stops effortlessly, while Koizumi and I slow and turn to face the thoughtfully staring Brigade chief.

I suppose if she wants to talk somewhere without eavesdroppers, halfway down the road to the village is a good a place as any!

"First of all," Haruhi says, gesturing at Asahina-san with the hand that isn't holding her steady, "that Mikuru-chan is a time traveler!" she says with a small bit of pride.

The response to that is a bit anti-climactic; I already knew, thanks to our meeting in our dreams. Nagato doesn't react other than to blink. Koizumi is the only one to start in surprise, eyebrows rising as he stares at Haruhi. Even Asahina-san only blushes, looking around to ensure no one outside of the Brigade was nearby to overhear.

Well, that's Haruhi for you. She waited since yesterday to get to this, didn't she? She looks a little irritated at the general lack of reaction, but I nod and cross my arms over my chest.

"That's... You discovered that, did you?" Koizumi asks, still off balanced.

"So you all knew," Haruhi grumbled, scowling. "And I'm guessing you also knew that Yuki is an alien?"

This time, Nagato gives her tiny signature nod of acknowledgement. Asahina-san looks a bit nervous, glancing between the smaller girl and Haruhi. Koizumi recovers his composure. "I ... had not guessed you were investigating such things, Suzumiya-san," he says uneasily, forcing a smile. "What else have you discovered, then?"

"So all of you knew all about one-another," Haruhi deduces, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, then, Koizumi, did your esper bosses say you couldn't tell yourself about me, either?"

The esper is almost bowled over, despite how obvious it was that his reveal was coming next. "That- is absolutely the case," he says solemnly, his expression drawn. Is he ... _afraid_?

Come on, Koizumi! Haruhi's not _that_ bad!

Somehow, even though I don't say anything aloud, he seems to get my thoughts and settle himself. Or maybe he just recalls our conversation from yesterday. "My apologies for not being able to say anything earlier," he offers, offering Haruhi a formal bow.

"Well, I'm _not_ happy about it," Haruhi snaps, glaring.

When Koizumi flinches back, Haruhi sighs and rubs at her temples, slowly shaking her head.

"I don't think I like _any_ of your bosses - they come across as jerks! But ... if Mikuru-chan's bosses give her rules that control what she can say, and Yuki's bosses seem to do the same ... your bosses are probably trying to do something similar."

The esper nods quickly, looking relieved. I think Haruhi is a bit off guard by Koizumi's mask falling away! Good for him that she doesn't push harder, though.

"Well, in any case, I would really like to know more about you three, and why you all have jerks for bosses," Haruhi continues, shaking her head. "We'll have time for that later - the real question is how I 'just' managed to find the exact beings that I was looking for ... and the answer to _that_ is pretty obvious!"

I uncross my arms and steel myself. I trust Haruhi - I really do! But this is still tense stuff! How _will_ she react? Did she figure it out last night? Or in her amazing way, is she unraveling it on the spot?

"So, what would attract aliens, espers, and time travelers?" she asks, looking at each of the three in turn, a smile coming to her lips. "And _that_ has to do with me and Kyon, right?"

Koizumi nods hesitantly - Asahina-san's nod is more eager, and even Nagato gives her small gesture of confirmation. For myself, well, she's half right, so I just shrug. That wasn't really addressed at me, anyway.

"So to start ... what _is_ the deal with Kyon?" Haruhi asks, turning to look at me intently.

...what?

Deal with _me_?

"Uh, Haruhi-" I start.

She turns to Koizumi and raises her eyebrows. "Well?" she demands, before I can continue.

"I- That is ... Kyon-kun is your friend," the esper says, looking nervous under her scrutiny, offering a hopeful and uncertain smile. "He's the one who told us we should trust you."

Haruhi looks both annoyed and surprised by that, struggling to figure out which one she should feel more. Still, instead of pressing, she turns her gaze to Nagato, raising her eyebrows.

I frown, not liking the way I was brushed aside ... but Haruhi is trying to puzzle this out, so I cross my arms over my chest again and wait patiently.

"A trustworthy companion who looks out for those he cares about," Nagato surmises, which ... actually is a bit embarrassing. Thanks, Nagato ... I didn't know you thought of me like that!

For whatever reason, that makes Haruhi's eyes light up a bit as she grins and nods. "Of course," she agrees, before turning her attention to the now wide-eyed time traveler. "And you, Mikuru-chan? What do you have to say about Kyon?"

"Um, here?" Asahina-san squeaks out nervously, offering an apologetic smile.

"Oh, right, those stupid limiters," Haruhi grumbles, frowning. "Well - try anyway, Mikuru-chan."

"Um ... that is, an important figure ... from this time who can ... influence things greatly," the cute older girl manages - she looks delighted with herself once she finishes saying it, as though she weren't certain she could finish it. "Ah! I didn't say 'classified information'!" she cheers.

"Well, based on that, and my own observations ... I've figured it out!" Haruhi declares, giving Asahina-san an encouraging hug, nearly unbalancing her before turning to stare at me. "I've figured out what you are, Kyon!"

I'm a normal person, Haruhi. "What's that?" I ask, uncrossing my arms and trying to sound indulgent instead of indifferent.

"_You_ ... somehow have the power to shape reality!" she declares.

I ... can only stare at her from that. How on earth did she get _that_ so backward?

"And you used your powers to gather the people who I wanted to meet, so we could be friends, because you think their bosses are jerks!" she adds cheerfully. "Isn't that right?"

"U...um... Actually..."

Oh, boy... Where do I even _begin_?

* * *

><p>Kyon's reaction is not at all what I was expecting - raising a hand to massage the bridge of his nose. On the one hand, it tells me that I don't have things right, at least as far as he knows. On the other, if he thinks I'm <em>wrong<em>, that means he obviously has some idea of what's _right_.

"Well... I will have to agree with at least part of that," he begins. "Given what I know of them all, I would have to say you're right - most of our friends' bosses really are jerks. I've really only had to deal directly with Nagato's superiors - and that only in a way - but given what I've seen them make Asahina-san do, I can't really say I'm fond of her boss either."

That prompts an uncomfortable grimace from him as he falls silent, so I push ahead myself. "So, if that's the only thing you're agreeing with, you're telling me the rest of it's wrong? That you can't change reality?"

He nods at that. "So far as I know, I'm a completely normal human," he admits.

"Then explain why I've seen - and heard of - you doing things that are impossible!" I shoot back. "You're telling me I shouldn't believe the evidence of my own eyes?"

That catches him off guard. "Wait, what? You've seen- when was this? What did I do?" he responds.

"That little rescue of your cousins was the first hint," I say, evading the direct question. "So, your story is that you found the storage building starting to collapse, yanked the door open, tossed a big statue off your cousin, and then dragged her out just as a storm surge hit and finished taking out the building, right?"

Kyon sighs at that, shaking his head. "That was adrenaline, Haruhi. I can't believe that you wouldn't know the kinds of things people can do when they're on an adrenaline rush."

"Is that your story or not?" I continue, ignoring the point - as if I wouldn't have considered that!

"Fine, then, yes - that's what happened."

"I _did_ take adrenaline into account," I start off, giving Kyon a dirty look. "Getting a big stone statue off your cousin and running out through the mud before the storm surge came along, sure - that's definitely all possible from an adrenaline rush. The bigger problem is the door."

Kyon blinks at that. "The door? What does that have to do with anything?"

"That's what Yurie-chan told me that sounded the most off," I answer - now he knows I'm working from an eyewitness account! "From what she told me, she saw the door hanging open after you yanked it open." I hold up a hand to forestall the protest before Kyon can even start. "Number one, if the building was starting to collapse, the door probably would have been jammed shut. And yes, adrenaline again, but that's not the important part.

"I talked to your Aunt Rika, too, and she says the saiguden was a really old traditional-style building. With _sliding doors_. How could Yurie have seen a doorknob on a sliding door?"

"Well, we were all kind of panicked," Kyon hedges. "Maybe she only thought she saw the doorknob?"

"Except that matches up with _your_ story, too," I fire back. "You said you yanked the door open! I don't know about you, but if I was trying to open a stuck sliding door in an emergency, I'd try breaking it down by kicking it _in_, not pulling it _out_. What the hell would you grab to pull it by, anyway?"

He falls silent at that, then sighs. "I can't even trust my own memories there thanks to the adrenaline. I do still remember pulling it open, but that doesn't mean I'm remembering things right."

I shake my head at that, then move on to my own observation. "Fine, then! I know what _I_ saw, and there was definitely no adrenaline involved with that!"

Kyon just gives me an expectant look, so I press on. "First, would there be any reason why there are big holes in the ground around here?"

He snorts at that. "Some of my cousins - the Houjou twins. They like making pit traps, don't ask me why."

I can't help but snicker at that myself, but I move on. "You sat directly on top of one when we went outside to talk yesterday," I explain. "I had no idea why it was there, but it was covered over with branches and grass - I probably wouldn't even have noticed if you hadn't knocked some of the covering off when you got up."

He simply shrugs at that. "So they just used branches that were strong enough to hold my weight," he explains. "I'm surprised I didn't notice it, but I'll admit that seeing all of you show up here had me kind of shaken up, so I could understand missing that."

"And you think I wouldn't check on that?" I give him a skeptical look. "When I tried putting my foot on it, the branches broke so quickly I almost fell in myself!"

Kyon doesn't give a reply to that, looking more thoughtful than a few minutes ago. "That... still doesn't mean that _I_ was the one responsible for that," he hedges.

"Then who was?" I shoot back.

"Who else was there?" he offers as an answer, not looking directly at me.

I have to stop to think about that for a moment before what he's implying sinks in. "The only other person there was me, of course," I retort. "Wait... you're saying that _I_ somehow kept you from falling in?"

"Everyone else," Kyon says, looking around at the other Brigade members, "is here for a reason - I'm just sort of along for the ride, more than anything. They're here because of you, Haruhi."

I give Kyon a skeptical look at that, but he's still not meeting my eyes, so instead I turn to the other three - who have been mostly silent throughout the whole conversation so far. Mikuru blushes and looks down, and Koizumi's smile looks pretty sickly when my gaze sweeps over him. Yuki's the only one that doesn't seem to be perturbed at all, so I decide to get a straight answer.

"Is that right, Yuki?" I fix a stare on the alien - man, it feels weird to think of Yuki that way!

"I was originally sent to observe you, Suzumiya Haruhi," Yuki says smoothly, looking straight back at me. "Over time, my goals have expanded to include him in the course of my observations as well."

Kyon's eyebrows raise at that, and he turns to look at Yuki himself, although she isn't quite done yet. "His role in the situation was unclear at the beginning, as there appeared to be no significant reason for his inclusion in the SOS Brigade. I was instructed at that point to inform him of my role in observing you, in the hopes that this would reveal some additional data relating to his presence."

"It was... similar for me," Mikuru chimes in. "I was... informed that Nagato-san had brought Kyon-kun into the loop, and I was told to do the same since we didn't, um, want one of the other groups to gain an ally that would give them an advantage over us." She drops her gaze at that, and I can definitely understand why she's not exactly proud of the admission.

I turn to Koizumi at that, raising an eyebrow - if everyone's sharing their story, I might as well get them all. "In... my case, Kyon-kun came to me directly after he'd heard from both Nagato-san and Asahina-san," he admits. "It had been my plan to inform him when I would be able to provide more definite proof of my claims, but I was preempted."

Well, that at least explains why Kyon seems to already know about all of this. Yuki nods at the others' additions, then continues on. "Our initial assessment proved to be correct; he was a standard human being. However, despite his lack of extranormal traits, it is my analysis that without his presence the Brigade would have been destroyed by internal friction."

Kyon looks a little stunned by that, and I'll definitely admit to some curiosity about exactly what Yuki means by that, but... "That's interesting, but we're kind of getting away from the real point," I say sharply. "I get that Kyon's normal, but you still haven't said why you're observing _me_."

Kyon sighs at that, shaking his head. "I'm not even completely clear on that myself," he offers. "Everyone's offered up different explanations about exactly why they're staying around you in the Brigade, but as near as I can tell, _you_ are the one that's able to warp reality."

I give him a dubious look at that. "I just accused you of the same thing, and you wouldn't believe me even after I provided proof! You expect me to swallow that just on your say-so?"

Kyon sighs at that. "Would it help if I told you I was... no, actually, that sounds pretty lame at this point even to me. All right, hmm... let me think for a minute."

I decide to be magnanimous for the moment, and so I just step back a pace, tapping my foot while I wait for him to put his argument together. I suppose it's fair; he didn't know it was going to come to this point, it sounds like, and while I've had plenty of time to put my own case together, he hasn't.

"Okay," he finally says, setting his shoulders. "There's... not a lot that I can point to that I think you'd remember, other than this. I'm assuming you remember what was going on when we made the movie last fall, right?"

Not one of my prouder moments, and not a memory I really want to get back into right now, but I nod grudgingly anyway.

From the look on his face it's not one of his favorite times either; he won't meet my eyes as he goes on. "Do you remember the cherry blossoms? How all of a sudden they just bloomed out of nowhere in the middle of fall?"

"I do," I admit, at least happy this isn't getting into what happened with Mikuru. "Wait... you're saying that _I_ caused that, somehow?"

Kyon nods, looking to the others for some kind of confirmation - although most of them are looking pretty uncomfortable themselves. Koizumi in particular looks like he's sweating bullets; his usual smile looks like it's looking for an escape route from the rest of his face.

Kyon's voice cuts into my observations as he goes on. "That... yes. There were a lot of things that happened during the movie shoot that were pretty unreasonable, but the only thing you'd probably remember would be the cherry trees, and maybe the birds. You'd said you wanted the trees to be blooming, and for the birds to be white, and the next day both of them were."

"That's-" I want to jump in and say it's just a stupid coincidence, but that's kind of what Kyon was just blowing me off with, so I should try to give this a little consideration if I want to get the same. "All right, I'll accept that there's not much other explanation for the trees," I admit. "Whether or not it was me specifically, there really isn't a reasonable explanation for why one particular set of cherry trees would bloom for one day six months out of season, so the idea that I might have caused it is about as reasonable as anything else that could explain it."

Kyon relaxes a bit at that, but I decide to turn this back around - this is about _him_ just as much as it's about _me_, after all. "Even if that's so, though, it doesn't explain what I saw with you sitting on that pit in the ground! Even if I can change reality, _you_ were the one sitting on top of it!"

He just shrugs at that. "You _did_ want to talk to me," he replies. "The only thing I can guess is... well, maybe you subconsciously kept me from falling in so we wouldn't get interrupted."

I just give him a flat look at that. "Kyon, assuming you didn't break something in the process, watching you fall into a muddy pit would have been absolutely hilarious," I say evenly. "I would have laughed myself crosseyed, then helped you get out so I could talk to you."

Kyon looks kind of dumbfounded at that, and Mikuru stifles a giggle. I'm half tempted to do the same myself, but I do want to keep things on track for the most part. "So. I can buy the fact that maybe I have some kind of ability like reality warping that brought everyone here to observe me, since they all agree they're not here to watch you. I could _also_ buy the idea that they actually came to watch _you_ for the same reason, but told you that they were watching _me_ to keep you from getting suspicious, so that's not really hard evidence either way.

"The cherry trees do make it seem a little more likely that it was me rather than you, since you... weren't exactly my biggest fan during the movie shoot," I admit, feeling the color rise to my cheeks at the admission. Not that he'd be wrong for thinking that way, but... "So... if it was just your ability to do things all along, it wouldn't really fit for it to happen right then - you weren't exactly in the mood to do me any favors.

"But it can't explain _everything_," I continue. "You sitting on the hole after we got here, the thing with the rescue - even if you don't remember the whole thing clearly, Yurie sounded like she was far enough away not to panic completely, and she had a decent view of what was going on from the sound of it. If I can really do what you claim, then yeah, changing a sliding door into one with a doorknob wouldn't be hard at all - but how would I have even known that I needed to? I didn't even know about the rescue until over a day later - I figured you were just worn out from dealing with your cousins all day!"

Kyon sighs. "I can't explain it all either - it's not like I know exactly how the whole thing works, all I can really do is guess. Maybe... you just wanted me not to get hurt, and things worked themselves out from there or something. It absolutely can't have been me, though - I really am completely normal, I promise."

"But why would I have any reason to think that on the day when you rescued your cousins?" I shoot back. The point about me not wanting him to get hurt is valid, but I don't plan on handing Kyon any more reasons why he's off the hook. "I already thought you _were_ safe! We'd already had a chance to talk after you didn't show up at school, and from the way you made it sound, you were stuck doing mostly safe but annoying chores! It's not like I was ever worried that your cousins were going to hit you in the head with a rock or something!"

I take a moment to glance at the other members of the Brigade to get their reactions. Koizumi's looking increasingly bewildered - and worried - while Mikuru is doing her best to look invisible, probably just from the fact that Kyon and I are fighting. Yuki is looking... odd. If I didn't know better I'd say she was trying to hide a smile, although her expression is the same as it always is - but it's like there's a twinkle in her eyes that tells me there's more going on there than she's letting on.

Seeing that - and with Kyon resorting to his usual 'Haruhi's being unreasonable, why me' facepalm technique, I decide to press the others. "Come on, doesn't anyone else have anything to say?"

Mikuru just whimpers a bit, shaking her head silently, and after a moment Koizumi collects himself enough to give an answer. "I... well, all I can say is that to the best of my organization's knowledge, Kyon-kun is what he claims - a perfectly normal human." He gives Yuki a searching glance at that, but she doesn't respond to him at all.

And after a moment, when it seems like she's going to leave things where they are, I decide to press her specifically. "What about you, Yuki?"

She turns to face me directly as she answers. "As previously stated, I was sent to observe you, and upon investigation he was determined to be a normal human."

I let out a sharp sigh at that, and Kyon looks relieved. That lasts about ten seconds though, since it seems she's not quite done.

"That was our determination at that time. I no longer believe that this is the case."

* * *

><p>As much as Nagato's words shake me, I manage to keep from screaming in terror - Haruhi and Nagato are both there, after all, and I've always been confident that as long as we were together, we could get through any crisis. "What's changed?" I ask, unable to keep the note of worry from my voice. Then again, feeling it's entirely called for, before she can answer I add, "What's Haruhi done to me?"<p>

Haruhi snorts at that, crossing her arms over her chest, but echoes, "Are you saying it _was_ something I did, if ... he used to be 'normal'?"

Taniguchi's long-ago prediction that I would 'catch Suzumiya' didn't somehow come true, did it? Things were settling down and becoming so reasonable, too!

Nagato pauses, as she sometimes seems to when explaining things, but looks ... well, for Nagato she doesn't seem particularly troubled. It doesn't hurt that she's the first person I'd go to for help in this situation, though I'm nearly ready to beg. "No other source for the change can be identified," she says quietly.

"But _what_ change?" I still have to ask, looking at the others for support. Asahina-san looks completely bewildered, still trying to hide ... well, I can't blame her for that. Koizumi looks worn to the point of cracking, and I don't think I can really blame him for that, either!

"The full extent is not yet understood," Nagato says in response. "Observable events so far conform to the type of creation of data previously associated exclusively with Suzumiya Haruhi."

"Data creation?" Haruhi asks, furrowing her brow. "So - you're confirming that Kyon _is_ a reality warper!"

Even though it's minute, both of us recognize her nod.

Hey! Wait! "But also that I didn't _used_ to be," I protest. "Haruhi was it originally! I'm not sure I'm happy about that, Haruhi!"

Nagato gives that same nod and... And it starts to really sink in.

"What, you think it's easy for _me_ to just somehow accept?" Haruhi retorts incredulously.

"Well - you're amazing and can handle almost anything!" I protest feebly, not really thinking about what I'm saying. That somehow makes her stop and reconsider things. If it weren't for her reaction to that, I might have been too upset to notice that she had been shaking a bit herself.

"I- I suppose, I have to lead by example," she grumbles, staring straight at me still. "So if _I_ can handle this, you can too!"

Can I? Maybe I'm wrong, though! Turning to Nagato and thinking of last December, I ask, "Haruhi ... is still Haruhi, right?"

"There is no evidence to conclude that her own ability has been lost or otherwise diminished," Nagato confirms.

It is rare in my mind that one can 'win' a confrontation with Suzumiya Haruhi, so despite the circumstance, I have to take what I can get: "But I'm right, that everyone was here for _her_, because it was her power alone originally!"

And again, Nagato's familiar nod.

Haruhi's jaw works once, twice, and then she fixes me with a scowl. "This doesn't make me wrong," she points out. "It... It just means we're both right."

"This is a lot to take in!" I protest feebly.

"Somehow, I can be sympathetic," Haruhi returns, rolling her eyes. I suppose I'm not really thinking that this must be difficult for _her_ too. I tried to tell her once about everyone else, and her reaction to that should have _warned_ me how difficult this was to accept. "I mean, if what you're saying is all true, what ... does that make me?"

"I could ask the same question," I note, giving her a level look.

"Oh, come on!" Haruhi explodes. "_You've_ known who everyone was for almost a _year_ at least! Haven't you had _enough_ warning to prepare yourself for just how ... crazy this all is?"

...she's got a point. Shaking my head, I use one of her own argument tactics against her: "Nevermind that - it's not that important."

"Not that important!" she shouts, stamping one foot on the ground and giving me an incredulous stare. "I just found out that you can _warp reality_! Meeting in _dreams_ was amazing, but this takes the _cake_! And you want to say that finding out what you - what _we_ - can do is _not that important_!?"

"Haruhi is Haruhi," I tell her with a shrug, fitting things into place on my own. "So you can warp reality ... and supposedly I can too."

Koizumi shakes his head slowly, still unsure what to make of the situation. Asahina-san is starting between us with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open a short distance. Nagato is regarding both of us with that same unshakably calm expression. Of course, I'm pretty sure I can understand why she's so calm now, which is the same reason I've decided not to worry about it that much.

Haruhi snorts. "That's your answer?" she asks scornfully. "What kind of bull-"

"Watch your mouth; if we weren't careful, children could be listening," I admonish her gently. She rolls her eyes, but before she can restart, I continue, "We're friends, Haruhi. Not just you and I, but all of us. So ... to try and put it into words... When I first met you, I didn't look at you as a 'reality warper', but as a person. For a while, I wasn't sure how to think, once everyone else told me about what you could do, but then I realized I should treat you the same as before."

Her mouth snaps shut as she gives me an evaluating stare, considering what I'm starting to say.

"So from time to time I ... slipped a bit. But I've learned to not let what I've discovered influence me in a way it shouldn't - yes, you can warp reality. Yes, Nagato can do amazing things, too. And Asahina-san is a time traveler. Koizumi's an esper.

"But that doesn't really matter, either! You didn't know what they could do - you just picked them because they grabbed your interest. And even if there were rough patches," and here, Haruhi winces a bit, shifting her shoulders uncomfortably, "we're gotten through everything and become _friends_. That Christmas party, what we all did for Valentine's Day," I look away when spots of color explode onto Haruhi's cheeks, even though she tries to scowl to cover it, "and that time we all had to work together for the literature club's digest!

"So ... all that ... this really means is that we can be completely honest about things, right?" I insist.

I have to believe that to keep myself from panicking over things ... though it doesn't hurt that Koizumi and Asahina-san nod agreement with my analysis, and Nagato's expression hasn't become concerned in any way.

"I... I suppose I can accept that," Haruhi grudgingly allows, coughing - though her cheeks are still red. "I guess once in a while you can come up with a decent speech - but there's no sense just _ignoring_ what we can do!"

"Well, let's take things one day at a time," I counter. These long, school free days have given me ample time to reflect, after all. "There's no sense rushing, either."

"Considering you knew you were normal and got this new power, you're taking this really well," Haruhi muses, frowning.

"Well ... maybe I just like to think that once you knew your other friends were special, you decided to help me become more equal," I reason. That seems sensible enough, doesn't it?

She snorts and rolls her eyes at that, giving me a grin. Then she says something that reassures me that as much as things have changed, they really _will_ be alright. "Equal? In your dreams!"

* * *

><p>Halbarad's Notes: A big thanks to Brian for all his help, and especially his patience. My writing speed is glacial in comparison to his, but never did I get more than a gentle reminder (even when I probably <em>should<em> have gotten more.) All in all, though, it's been a blast to write this one, and a tip of the hat again for getting me motivated to actually write anything in the first place.

Brian's notes: This was the first serious-length collaborative effort I've really undertaken, and I personally think I really lucked out by getting a great co-author. Being able to split the writing made it much easier, and it was a great deal of fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did writing it; classy hats and cigars for all!


End file.
